LIBRARY 

OF    THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Philip   Freneau 


Philip  Freneau 

The   Poet  of  the   Revolution 

A  History  of  His  Life  and  Times 


By 
Mary  S.   Austin 


Edited  by  Helen  Kearny  Vreeland 

Great-granddaughter  of  the  Poet 


Descriptas  servare  vices,  operumque  colores 
Cur  ego,  si  nequeo  ignoroque,  poeta  salutor 

HORACE 


New   York 
A.  Wessels    Company 


MDCCCCI 


COPYRIGHT,      1901,     BY 
A.      WESSELS      COMPANY 


UNIVERSITY   PRESS    •     JOHN   WILSON 
AND    SON     •      CAMBRIDGE,     U.S.A. 


DEDICATED 

TO   THE 

PATRIOTIC    SOCIETIES 

OF 

AMERICA 


Author's  Preface 

THERE  is  nothing  new  in  this  book,  kind  reader, 
for,  if  Solomon  proved  to  his  satisfaction  that 
there  is  "  nothing  new  under  the  sun,"  presumptuous 
indeed  would  it  be  in  me  to  think  to  have  succeeded 
in  that  wherein  the  wisest  of  men  has  failed. 

M.  Bautain,  in  his  admirable  treatise,1  speaks  of 
two  methods  of  conceiving  a  subject :  the  one  direct 
by  means  of  illumination,  the  other  indirect  and  within 
the  reach  of  ordinary  minds.  He  says  it  is  difficult 
to  be  original  upon  subjects  already  treated  of;  but  a 
second  sort  of  originality  consists  in  giving  forth  ideas 
that  have  become  incorporated  in  one's  own,  and  have 
been  quickened  with  the  life  of  one's  own  mind,  which 
is  called  "  taking  possession  in  the  finder's  name." 

This  latter  process,  he  continues,  consists  in  acting 
as  does  the  bee,  which  extracts  from  the  flowers  the 
aromatic  and  oleaginous  particles,  that  serve  to  form 
the  honey  and  the  wax.  "  Be  it  well  observed,"  he 
says,  "  that  the  bee  first  nourishes  itself  with  these  sub 
stances  by  the  process  of  absorption  and  assimilation." 

Therefore,  kind  reader,  if  in  perusing  this  imperfect 
work  you  should  find  that  which  is  familiar  to  you, 
remember  it  is  not  solely  with  the  intention  of  giving 

1  Bautain  on  "  Extempore  Speaking." 

vii 


Preface 


you  the  new  that  it  is  written.  "  Non  nova,  sed  nove" 
says  Vincent  of  Lerins  —  not  new,  but  in  a  new  form. 
I  claim  no  originality  in  the  treatment  of  my  subject ; 
my  efforts  have  been  directed  rather  to  presenting 
in  the  best  light  the  character  and  times  of  the  subject 
of  our  biography,  than  to  the  endeavor  to  appear  orig 
inal.  When  this  end  could  be  the  better  attained  by 
making  use  of  the  words  of  others,  I  have  done  so  ;  as 
most  of  the  information  they  have  received  has 
emanated  from  the  same  sources  as  my  own;  namely, 
the  relatives  of  the  subject  of  this  work,  and  likewise 
of  the  author. 

An  author1  has  deplored  the  fact  that  there  are 
hundreds  of  names  of  men  who  have  rendered  the 
most  important  services  to  their  country,  that  have 
been  suffered  to  sink  to  the  grave  "  unwept,  unhon- 
ored,  and  unsung/'  and  in  a  great  measure  it  has  been 
this  thought  that  has  prompted  me  to  do  what  lies  in 
my  power  to  keep  alive  the  memory  of  one  who,  born 
almost  a  century  and  a  half  ago,  had  an  influence  in 
the  colonies  during  their  struggle  for  independence 
that  is  said  to  have  been  very  great. 

I  speak  of  Philip  Morin  Freneau,  the  "  Poet  of  the 
Revolution." 

Although  in  Freneau's  case  we  .may  not  hold  as 
strictly  true  the  words  of  the  author  above  quoted, 
inasmuch  as  from  time  to  time  able  and  interesting 
articles  upon  his  life  and  writings  have  appeared,  still 
from  paucity  of  data  these  have  been  fragmentary  and 
somewhat  erroneous,  owing  in  part  to  the  disastrous  fire 

1  Thomas. 

viii 


Prefa 


ace 

that  consumed  Mont  Pleasant,  the  poet's  homestead, 
in  which  were  consumed,  along  with  much  of  his  un 
published  poetry,  many  valuable  letters  and  manu 
scripts  that  would  have  given  abundant  matter  for  a 
most  interesting  work. 

Since  undertaking  the  task  of  giving  to  the  public  the 
Life  of  Freneau,  some  unexpected  data  in  the  form  of 
notebooks  and  marginal  notes  have  thrown  light  upon 
some  hitherto  unaccounted-for  years  in  the  poet's  life, 
and  have  served  to  link  together  the  portions  already 
given  to  the  public,  as  well  as  to  correct  many  mis- 
statements. 

Appreciating  the  fact  that  the  life  of  a  man  is  in 
reality  a  history  of  the  times  in  which  he  has  lived, 
and  that  the  value  of  history  depends  as  much  on  its 
veracity  as  upon  the  matter,  I  have  endeavored  to 
gain  an  accurate  insight  into  the  times,  as  well  as  the 
life  of  the  man.  I  am  enabled,  consequently,  to  say 
that  what  I  have  stated  as  facts  are  in  accordance  with 
history,  whereas  such  things  as  have  not  been  proved 
are  given  as  probabilities. 

As  one  can  judge  of  the  works  of  a  person  being 
great  or  small  only  by  comparing  them  with  those  of 
others,  as  well  as  by  their  effect  upon  posterity,  I  leave 
all  judgment  to  my  readers,  contented  with  merely 
supplying  the  facts. 

As  no  less  than  fifteen  authors,  possibly  more,  have 
written  upon  this  subject,  most  of  them  being  authors 
of  repute,  I  have  drawn  entirely  upon  them  for  the 
matter  contained  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  Freneau's 
poetry  and  prose  compositions,  bestowing  all  eulogy  in 

m 


Prefc 


ace 

their  words,  as  praise  comes  not  well  from  interested 
parties,  and  criticism  is  not  pleasant  to  one  to  whom 
the  object  is  endeared  by  association  with  loved  ones. 
With  Mr.  Julian  Verplanck,  his  friend  and  reviewer, 
one  would  rather  — 

"  With  full  applause  in  honour  to  his  age, 
Dismiss  the  veteran  poet  from  the  stage  ; 
Crown  his  last  exit  with  distinguished  praise, 
And  kindly  hide  his  baldness  with  the  bays." 


Table  of  Contents 

Page 

PREFACE ix 

REVOCATION  OF  THE  EDICT  OF  NANTES I 

NEW  YORK  IN  YE  OLDEN  TIME 12 

HUGUENOTS  IN  AMERICA 32 

THE  FOUNDER  AND  HIS  FAMILY  IN  AMERICA 49 

FRENEAU'S   YOUTHFUL  DAYS 69 

GEN.  JOHN   MORIN   SCOTT 89 

CAPTURE  OF  THE  AURORA 104 

ALMOST  A  DECADE  OF  YEARS 121 

FRENEAU'S  POLITICAL  LIFE 147 

PEACE  AFTER  WAR 176 

FRENEAU  AS  AN  AUTHOR 211 

His  FAMILY  AND  RELATIVES 227 

THE  RISING  GLORY  OF  AMERICA 237 

APPENDIX 253 

INDEX  OF  NAMES 279 


List  of  Illustrations 

Philip   Freneau   (Photogravure) Frontispiece 

TO    FACI    PACK 

Church  du  St.   Esprit 56 

Agnes  Watson,  Mother  of  Philip  Freneau    ....  72 

National   Gazette 158 

The  Poet's  Grave 210 

Agnes  Watson  Freneau  Leadbeater 228 


PHILIP  FRENRAU 

The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 
Chapter   First 

IN  relation  to  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes, 
much  has  been  written  by  authors  holding  very 
different  sentiments. 

With  some,  we  should  deem  the  Huguenots  an  inof 
fensive  and  deeply  wronged  people,  persecuted  solely 
on  account  of  their  religious  convictions ;  according 
to  others,  we  should  look  upon  Louis  Quatorze  as 
a  forbearing  monarch, —  one  who,  being  in  imminent 
danger  of  having  his  kingdom  wrested  from  him  and 
its  religion  subverted,  was  compelled  to  act  upon  the 
defensive. 

Some  represent  the  Huguenots  as  bearing  injuries 
inflicted  upon  them  with  fortitude,  and  suffering  per 
secutions  even  to  martyrdom  for  their  religion  ;  others 
depict  the  king  as  pursuing  his  rigorous  course  through 
the  purest  of  motives,  and  to  such  an  extent  only  as 
to  repress  the  continual  revolts  of  his  rebellious  sub 
jects  ;  they  would  cause  us  to  hear  him  say  to  his 
intendants,  "  Je  vous  recommande  surtout  de  menager 
avec  douceur  les  esprits  de  ceux  de  la  dite  religion ;" 
and  to  listen  to  his  censure  of  one  governor  for  pursu 
ing  a  different  course ;  and  to  learn  of  the  recall  of 
another  for  the  same  offence. 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1685,  that  which  saw  the 
Edict  of  Nantes  revoked,  France  was  divided  into  two 
parties ;  the  dominant  one  being  that  of  the  Crown, 
headed  by  Louis  Quatorze,  —  a  prince  as  scrupulous 
and  inflexible  in  matters  regarding  the  faith  he  pro- 

w  / 


Philip  Freneau 


fessed  as  he  was  unscrupulous  and  lax  in  the  morals 
he  practised.  Intolerant  of  any  opinion  not  his  own, 
he  condemned  freedom  of  conscience  in  his  subjects  as 
tantamount  to  rebellion  against  his  kingly  authority. 
In  religion,  as  in  other  matters,  he  would  be  absolute. 

The  minor  party,  that  of  the  Huguenots,  or  Calvin- 
ists,  still  retained  the  characteristics  sternly  impressed 
upon  it  by  its  founder ;  which  caused  its  adherents  to 
live  a  life  as  totally  at  variance  with  that  of  their  coun 
trymen  as  was  their  belief.  The  severe  and  inflexible 
decrees  of  Almighty  God,  and  the  impotence  of 
man's  will  in  influencing  his  own  destiny,  being  the 
basis  of  the  Huguenot's  creed,  it  produced  in  him  a 
rigid  severity  of  morals  which,  repressing  all  the  nat 
ural  instincts  and  emotions,  caused  a  corresponding 
austerity  of  manner  in  his  private  life ;  while  his  nat 
ural  independence  of  character,  joined  to  the  conviction 
of  the  hopelessness  of  his  cause,  gave  him  an  air  of 
defiance  in  his  public  demeanor  and  intercourse  with 
the  outer  world.  The  former  party,  powerful  and  all- 
important,  were  as  arrogant  as  such  characteristics  usu 
ally  cause  their  possessors  to  become  ;  while  the  other, 
no  longer  of  political  importance  and  consequently 
possessed  of  no  influence  at  court,  bowed  to  the  inevi 
table,  and,  although  subdued,  were  not  conquered. 

Cardinal  de  Richelieu,  upon  his  elevation  to  the 
prime  ministry,  set  himself  to  the  accomplishment  of 
three  things  ;  and  having  already  effected  two  of  them, 
namely,  the  humiliation  of  Austria  and  the  extinction 
of  feudalism,  turned  his  attention  to  the  one  that  lay 
nearest  home,  —  the  subjugation  and  conversion  of  the 
Huguenots. 

Their  subjugation  he  had  effected  in  the  year  1628 
by  the  siege  and  possession  of  La  Rochelle,  which  had 
been  followed  by  the  reduction  of  Montauban,  the 
last  stronghold  of  the  Huguenots  in  France. 

The  terms  of  capitulation  at  La  Rochelle  had  been 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

liberal  in  the  extreme,  far  more  so  than  the  besieged 
had  dared  to  hope;1  and  since  the  treaty  signed  at 
Alais  in  1629  difference  in  religion  had  never  prevented 
the  cardinal  from  rendering  the  conquered  all  sorts  of 
good  offices,  nor  had  it  caused  him  to  make  any  dis 
tinction  between  Frenchmen  in  the  fulfilment  of  the 
duties  of  his  office.2  Notwithstanding  the  late  revolt 
of  the  Rochellese,  he  had  continued  to  protect  the  re 
ligious  as  well  as  the  civil  rights  guaranteed  to  them 
by  Henri  Quatre  in  1598,  in  what  is  known  as  the 
"  Edict  of  Nantes." 

But  in  regard  to  their  conversion,  even  the  sagacious 
Richelieu  was  mistaken,  perhaps  for  the  first  time  in 
his  political  career.  The  peaceful  submission  of  the 
Huguenots  was  only  the  result  of  necessity.  Their 
ambitious  hopes  crushed,  their  numbers  depleted  by 
the  many  wars  they  had  undertaken,  as  well  as  the 
abandonment  of  their  cause  by  the  greater  number  of 
their  nobility,  had  combined  to  oblige  them  to  relin 
quish  all  hopes  for  the  future,  and  set  themselves  to  the 
work  of  repairing  the  sad  effects  of  the  last  war ; 
consequently  those  districts  of  France  inhabited  by 
them  soon  began  to  present  their  former  appearance  of 
fertility  and  thriftiness. 

Excluded  from  higher  pursuits,  those  of  the  Hugue 
nots  whose  means  permitted  them  to  do  so,  lived  in 
retirement;  devoting  themselves  to  the  management 
of  their  estates,  or  else  engaging  in  commerce,  which 
they  soon  controlled  to  a  considerable  extent.  Others 
turned  their  energies  toward  the  development  of  the 
different  manufactures  in  which,  by  their  close  appli 
cation  and  enterprise,  they  soon  excelled  to  such  a 
degree  as  to  cause  some  of  its  branches  to  become 
almost  a  monopoly  with  them. 

With  returning  prosperity  and  a  steady  increase  of 
population,  the  Huguenots  began  to  raise  their  heads 

1  Ozaneau.  2  Richelieu's  own  testimony 

m 


Philip  Freneau 


again ;  and,  as  their  religious  as  well  as  civil  rights 
were  secured  to  them,  their  academies  soon  became 
national  synods  ;  and  they  have  been  charged  with 
infractions  of  several  of  the  articles  of  the  Edict. 

Deprived,  by  death,  of  the  counsels  of  the  sagacious 
Richelieu  and  the  prudent  Mazarin,  and  likewise  of 
the  politic  advice  of  the  displaced  Colbert,  Louis, 
encouraged  by  the  fanatical,  war-loving  Louvois,  deter 
mined  upon  taking  more  effective  measures  to  hasten 
the  conversion  of  the  Huguenots  which  he  was  so 
desirous  of  bringing  about. 

By  degrees  many  of  the  privileges  guaranteed  to 
them  were  curtailed ;  and  they,  fearing  lest  in  time 
they  might  see  the  Edict  rendered  null,  began  to  hold 
their  assemblies  as  in  days  gone  by ;  and,  as  in  those 
times,  force  was  now  likewise  used  to  prevent  them, 
sometimes  indeed  to  such  a  degree  as  to  cause  blood 
shed.  Symptoms  of  insurrection  in  the  southern  and 
western  portions  of  France  caused  Louis  to  realize 
that  the  spirit  of  Calvin  yet  lived ;  and  that  the 
Huguenots  were  still  a  political  body  which  might 
give  cause  for  alarm.  "It  is  necessary  to  recognize 
this  fact,"  says  Poole,  "  in  order  to  render  the  attitude 
of  Louis  towards  them  intelligible.  This  has  been 
denied  persistently  by  them  and  their  descendants, 
and  its  assertion  is  stigmatized  as  an  attempt  to  vin 
dicate  conduct  which,  judged  by  its  results,  is  in  a 
supreme  degree  indefensible.  But  the  truth  is  that, 
from  this  point  of  view  of  the  national  disaster,  the 
recall  of  the  Edict,  setting  the  whole  world  in  an 
attitude  hostile  to  Louis,  stands  at  so  indefinite  a 
height  among  the  follies  of  statesmen  that  no  exagger 
ation  of  fact  can  aggravate  it ;  for  this  very  reason  we 
should  grasp  at  anything  which,  while  it  cannot  palliate 
it,  may  serve  to  explain  its  stupendous  mistake." 

At  the  king's  council  held  October  2,  1685,  the 
Act  of  Revocation  was  passed  by  a  unanimous  vote, 


Poet  of  the  Revolution 


and  Louis  signed  the  declaration  to  be  sent  to  the 
different  intendants  of  the  provinces,  to  be  read  by 
them  in  public. 

In  concert  with  his  minister,  Louvois,  he  now  set 
about  the  prosecution  of  the  work  with  all  the  vigor 
of  which  he  was  capable.  The  dragonade  was  estab 
lished,  and  cruelty  succeeded  cruelty.  Threats,  im 
prisonment,  and  death  followed  each  other,  the  latter 
by  single  murders  and  public  massacres,  until  it 
seemed  that  the  heresy  would  be  extinguished  in 
blood. 

The  only  alternative  for  the  proud-spirited  Hugue 
nots  was  to  abjure  their  faith  or  suffer  the  penalty. 
Escape  was  prohibited  under  pain  of  the  galleys  if 
they  were  caught  in  the  act.  Many  of  the  Huguenots 
that  lived  in  the  shadow  of  the  court  abjured  their 
religion;  others,  along  with  gentlemen  living  in  the 
provinces,  men  of  commerce  and  manufacturers,  deter 
mined  to  leave  their  native  land,  however  hazardous 
the  attempt  might  be. 

The  depopulation  of  his  kingdom  had  no  part  in 
the  king's  intention  ;  therefore  he  ordered  the  ports  to 
be  closed  and  the  frontiers  to  be  closely  guarded, 
thinking  thus  to  prevent  the  threatened  exodus  ;  but 
determined  men  are  not  easily  thwarted  in  their 
designs,  and  many  ways  were  devised  to  elude  the 
vigilance  of  the  officials. 

In  many  cases  gold  proved  the  "open  sesame"  of 
closed  ports  and  guarded  frontiers  ;  disguises  also  and 
second-hand  passports  served  to  pass  many  across  the 
boundaries,  and  frequently  bales  of  merchandise  came 
to  life  when  safely  stowed  away  in  the  holds  of  friendly 
ships. 

As  the  Protestant  countries  offered  hospitality  to 
the  refugees,  some  sought  homes  in  Holland  and 
others  in  Switzerland.  They  were  obliged  to  make 
their  way  thither  during  the  darkness  of  the  night, 


Philip  Freneau 


concealing  themselves  by  day,  and  crossing  the  fron 
tiers  by  the  least  frequented  roads.  Many  found 
means  of  crossing  to  England,  notwithstanding  the 
precautions  taken  to  prevent  them  from  doing  so. 

Certainly,  the  migration  of  such  numbers  of  indus 
trious  people  could  not  but  make  itself  felt  throughout 
the  kingdom,  and  it  did  paralyze  commerce  and  manu 
factures  to  a  great  extent.  It  being  impossible  to 
ascertain  the  exact  number  of  refugees,  each  historian 
seems  to  have  set  down  figures  according  to  his  own 
conjecture;  consequently  the  numbers  are  in  some 
cases  undoubtedly  exaggerated.  Hume  has  estimated 
the  exodus  to  have  cost  France  half  a  million  of  her 
subjects,  and  many  have  accepted  his  statement. 
Larrey,  Jurieu,  and  Benoit  give  as  a  total  two  hun 
dred  thousand,  Basnage,  one  hundred  and  fifty  thou 
sand,  Caveirac  fifty-five  thousand,  and  others  seventy, 
and  sixty  thousand.  The  Duke  of  Burgundy,  of 
whose  opportunity  of  ascertaining  the  nearest  ap 
proach  to  the  correct  figures  and  of  whose  sincerity 
in  stating  them  an  historian  has  assured  us,1  asserts 
their  number  not  to  have  exceeded  sixty-eight 
thousand. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  loss  of  even  the 
least  of  these  numbers  of  subjects  did  affect  the 
material  prosperity  of  France ;  and  this  fact  was  most 
probably  the  cause  of  the  unwillingness  of  Louis  to 
have  the  Huguenots  leave  his  kingdom.  And  here 
likewise  historians  differ.  Some  assert  that  their 
migration  was  the  ruin  of  the  country,  while,  on  the 
contrary,  others  say  that  the  disadvantage  to  France 
has  been  greatly  overstated.  Tessereau,  the  king's 
intendant,  says:  "Although  the  refugees  from  La 
Rochelle  were  from  amongst  the  principal  inhabitants, 
both  in  regard  of  substance  and  reputation,  the  gener 
ality  of  the  emigrants  were  those  who  either  had  little 

iFredet. 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

or  nothing,  or  were  compelled  to  leave  what  they  had 
behind  them/'  Certainly  the  majority  were  obliged 
to  receive  assistance  from  the  countries  in  which  they 
sought  refuge,  instead  of  enriching  them  as  some 
would  believe. 

They  did  take  with  them,  however,  a  vast  amount 
of  energy,  industry,  and  a  knowledge  of  manufacture, 
along  with  the  germs  of  the  principles  of  the  demo 
cratic  government  they  afterwards  helped  to  establish 
in  the  new  world,  and  a  corresponding  love  for 
freedom,  and  hatred  of  monarchial  forms  of  govern 
ment,  and  all  that  savored  of  royalty. 

With  their  loss  agriculture  declined,  and  likewise 
the  culture  of  the  vine;  consequently  the  domestic 
supply  and  the  foreign  trade  in  wines  were  cut  off. 
Imports  failed,  as  the  links  of  commerce  were  sun 
dered;  weaving  also  suffered  greatly.  Yet,  notwith 
standing  all  this,  some  writers  have  declared  that, 
instead  of  being  a  misfortune  to  France,  the  king 
received  congratulations  because  this  emigration  freed 
his  kingdom  from  rebellious  subjects  whose  loss  would 
soon  be  made  good. 

The  greatest  misfortune  would  seem  to  lie  in  the 
fact  of  a  mother  country  so  treating  her  children  as 
to  oblige  them  to  seek  a  home  on  foreign  shores,  even 
were  the  reproach  of  one  of  the  exiles  to  his  fellow 
refugees  merited,  —  of  having  caused  these  extreme 
measures  by  their  own  conduct ;  to  which  he  added 
a  second,  saying  that  the  laws  of  most  of  the  Protes 
tant  countries  against  Catholics  were  more  severe  than 
those  of  Catholic  princes  against  Protestants.1 

Those  of  the  refugees  that  reached  Switzerland  im 
mediately  became  incorporated  into  its  civil  as  well 
as  religious  life,  while  those  that  succeeded  in  reach 
ing  Holland  joined  the  Walloons,  and  some  of  them 
eventually  reached  the  shores  of  the  new  world  in 

1  Avis  aux  Refugies,  Bayle. 

[7] 


Philip  Freneau 


Dutch  ships.  Others  again  that  sought  permanent 
homes  or  a  temporary  asylum  upon  the  English  coast 
found  in  some  localities  French  Protestant  churches 
with  the  surplus  of  a  fund,  raised  some  years  previously, 
and  which  was  now  devoted  either  to  their  maintenance 
or  to  defray  their  expenses  to  some  of  the  British  col 
onies  in  the  new  world. 

Those  of  the  exiles  that  settled  in  England  adopted 
the  established  religion,  alleging,  as  a  reason  for  so  do 
ing,  that  the  kindness  received  from  the  country  as 
well  as  the  church  made  such  a  step  a  duty  for  them; 
but  others,  so  long  as  they  were  not  obliged  to  re 
nounce  it,  clung  to  the  form  of  religion  in  use  in  their 
native  land.  Those  that  intended  to  make  their  future 
home  in  the  colonies  adopted,  for  the  time  being,  the 
form  of  the  established  church. 

During  their  sojourn  in  England,  the  wealthier  and 
more  intelligent  of  the  refugees  had  the  opportunity 
of  gaining  information  regarding  the  different  British 
colonies,  and  had  leisure  to  mature  plans  for  their 
future.  Many  of  them  had  relatives  or  acquaintances 
in  the  new  world,  and,  after  some  correspondence  with 
them,  their  future  course  was  decided. 

Such  of  the  refugees  as  had  foreseen  their  flight,  had 
left  their  property  in  the  care  of  friends,  who  afterwards 
contrived  to  transmit  at  least  a  portion  of  it  to  the 
owners.  To  such,  although  saddened  by  reverses  and 
separation  from  friends  and  country,  the  future  did 
not  present  such  a  dreary  aspect  as  it  did  to  those  who 
had  only  their  passage  money,  or  not  even  that.  The 
latter  were  obliged  to  trust  their  future  in  the  hands 
of  some  captain  willing  to  convey  them  to  the  some 
times  very  distant  port  to  which  the  vessel  was  bound. 

None  of  the  French  vessels  being  of  sufficient  size 
to  cross  the  Atlantic,  the  poor  Huguenots  were  usually 
landed  upon  some  European  coast,  were  they  fortunate 
enough  to  reach  it  alive  ;  for  the  voyage  was  full  of  dan- 

[*] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

ger,  and  the  captains  often  unskilful.  Many  of  the 
exiles  found  homes  in  the  bosom  of  the  deep. 

The  American  colonies  were  desirous  of  receiving 
the  refugees.  Massachusetts  and  South  Carolina  had 
agents  in  England  to  make  proposals  to  them.  Wil 
liam  Penn  would  fain  have  their  assistance  in  the  form 
ing  of  his  new  colony,  and  Virginia  offered  them  land 
at  trifling  cost  and  even  as  a  gift,  provided  they  would 
settle  upon  it. 

Many  of  the  refugees  took  out  papers  of  naturaliza 
tion  before  they  left  England.  Others,  loath  to  cut 
the  slender  tie  that  united  them  to  their  native  land, 
deferred  the  act  until  they  should  reach  the  precise 
locality  in  which  they  should  decide  to  settle. 

When  Charles  II.  first  invited  the  Huguenots  to 
England,  he  led  them  to  believe  that  by  one  general 
act,  they  all  would  receive  the  benefits  of  naturalization  ; 
but  this  idea  was  not  realized.  For  a  long  time  they 
were  allowed  to  obtain  under  the  royal  seal  a  grant 
by  which  they  might  secure  to  themselves  and  families 
all  the  rights,  immunities,  and  privileges  enjoyed  by 
free-born  citizens ;  the  only  obligation  being  that  of 
actual  residence  in  England  or  within  its  dominions: 
but  several  exactions  were  made;  among  which  was 
a  certificate  proving  that  they  had  received  commun 
ion,  and  another  promising  they  would  take  the  oath 
of  allegiance  and  supremacy  within  a  year. 

In  1671  Virginia  passed  an  act  giving  to  all  aliens, 
that  desired  to  become  citizens  the  liberties,  privileges 
and  immunities  of  those  born  within  the  British  do 
minions  upon  their  presenting  a  petition  to  the  As 
sembly,  and  taking  the  usual  oath  of  supremacy  and 
allegiance.  New  York  passed  a  similar  act  in  1686, 
and  South  Carolina  did  the  same  in  1691. 

Escape  from  their  country  was  not,  however,  the  sole 
solicitude  of  the  exiles.  By  it  one  step  might  be  accom 
plished,  but  other  steps  were  yet  to  be  taken  before 

\9\ 


Philip  Freneau 


their  lives  could  assume  a  peaceful  tenor.  First  was 
the  passage  across  the  great  ocean  that  lay  between 
them  and  the  new  world  in  which  they  hoped  to  plant 
their  "  vine  and  fig  tree ;  "  after  which  some  time  must 
elapse  before  they  could  hope  to  eat  their  fruits  and 
rest  beneath  their  shade. 

The  passage  of  the  Atlantic  was  fraught  with  many 
dangers.  No  two  vessels  ever  pursued  the  same  course, 
as  Maury  had  not  yet  planned  his  wind  and  water-cur 
rent  charts.  Chronometers  and  quadrants  were  un 
known  to  navigation,  the  compass  being  the  captain's 
sole  assistant.  Sometimes,  indeed,  the  ship  would  be 
found  many  degrees  out  of  its  intended  course,  and 
again  approaching  to  the  very  coast  it  had  lately 
quitted.  Steam  not  having  been  impressed  into  the 
service,  the  small  and  inferior  vessels  were  the  sport 
of  every  wind  and  wave.  One  moment  raised  on  a 
mighty  billow,  the  next  would  find  them  engulfed  in 
its  depths,  to  be  tossed  upwards  just  as  the  passengers 
thought  to  find  a  watery  grave. 

Pirates  infested  the  waters ;  consequently,  however 
distant,  every  sail  caused  a  tremor  of  anxiety  to  cap 
tain,  passengers,  and  crew.  Every  vessel  was  obliged 
to  carry  guns  and  ammunition,  which  occupied  the 
room  needed  for  provisions  for  such  a  lengthy  voyage, 
and  sometimes  they  were  reduced  almost  to  starvation. 
Frequently  deaths  ensued  from  lack  of  food  as  well 
as  from  want  of  medical  attendance  and  the  simplest  of 
remedies. 

"  Land  ho  !  "  was  a  joyful  cry  ;  but  often  it  was  only 
the  beginning  of  new  dangers,  as  no  pilots  were  found 
awaiting  them,  and  no  friendly  lighthouse  warned 
them  of  dangerous  rocks ;  and  in  case  of  shipwreck 
no  saving  life-boats  manned  by  willing  hands  and 
fearless  hearts  were  there  to  save  them.  What  won 
der  if  many  of  the  poor  exiles  required  no  earthly 
home. 

[so] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Provided  the  landing  was  successful,  who  shall  de 
scribe  the  homesickness  of  those  who  had  left  the 
most  luxurious  of  all  the  modern  countries,  with  the 
refinement  of  its  society  and  the  comforts  of  the  fam 
ily  hearthstone,  with  its  well-known  faces  and  famil 
iar  language,  to  meet  the  inconveniencies  and  privations 
of  a  new  land,  with  its  strange  tongue  and  unfamiliar 
countenances  ? 

But  brighter  days  were  in  store  for  these  poor  wan 
derers.  To  whatever  part  of  the  new  world  they  came 
they  brought  their  industry  and  enterprise,  and  prob 
ably  no  other  class  of  emigrants  contributed  more,  in 
proportion  to  their  number,  toward  the  prosperity  of 
the  country  of  their  adoption  than  they.  In  whatever 
station  of  life  they  belonged  they  were  remarkable  for 
their  kindliness  and  courtesy,  as  likewise  for  the  re 
finement,  and  even  elegance  of  their  manners,  as  well 
as  their  mental  calibre. 

Of  the  seven  presidents  of  the  Continental  Congress, 
three  were  of  Huguenot  parentage  :  Henry  Laurens, 
John  Jay,  and  Elias  Boudinot.  Tn  New  York  city 
and  in  its  vicinity  the  names  of  the  French  refugees 
are  amongst  the  most  prominent  ones. 


Chapter  Second 

EW  YORK  is  settled  upon  the  west  end  of 
the  island  having  that  small  arm  of  the 
.  sea  which  divides  it    from  Long   Island 

on  the  south  side  of  it,  which  runs  away  eastward  to 
New  England,  and  is  navigable  though  dangerous. 
For  about  ten  miles  from  New  York  is  a  place  called 
Hel  Gat  which  being  a  narrow  passage,  there  runneth 
a  violent  stream  both  upon  ebb  and  flood,  and  in  the 
middle  lieth  some  Islands  of  rocks,  which  the  current 
sets  so  violently  upon  that  it  threatens  present  ship 
wreck  ;  and  upon  the  flood  is  a  large  whirlpool  which 
continually  sends  forth  a  hideous  roaring,  enough  to 
affright  any  stranger  from  passing  any  further,  and  to 
wait  for  some  charm  to  conduct  him  through  ;  yet 
to  those  that  are  well  acquainted  little  or  no  danger,  yet 
a  place  of  great  defence  against  any  enemy  coming  in 
that  way,  which  a  small  fortification  would  absolutely 
prevent  and  necessitate  them  to  come  in  at  the  west 
end  of  Long  Island  by  Sandy  Hook,  where  Nutten 
Island  doth  force  them  within  command  of  the  Fort 
at  New  York,  which  is  one  of  the  best  Pieces  of  De 
fense  in  the  north  parts  of  America. 

"  New  York  is  built  most  of  brick  and  stone  and 
covered  with  red  and  black  tile,  and  the  land  being 
high,  it  gives  at  a  distance  a  pleasing  aspect  to  the 
spectators.  The  bay  upon  the  south  side  which  joins 
to  the  sea,  it  is  so  fortified  with  bars  of  sands  and 
shoals,  that  it  is  a  sufficient  defense  against  any  enemy. 
Upon  the  south  side  of  Long  Island  in  the  winter  lie 
stores  of  Whales  and  Crampusses,  which  the  inhabi 
tants  begin  with  small  boats  to  make  a  trade,  catching 


T*he  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

to  their  no  small  benefit.  Also  innumerable  multitude 
of  seals  which  make  an  excellent  oil.  They  lie  all  the 
winter  upon  some  broken  marshes  and  beaches  or  bars 
of  sand  before  mentioned,  and  might  be  easily  got  were 
there  some  skilful  men  would  undertake  it.  Hudson 
River  runneth  by  New  York  northward  into  the  Coun 
try  towards  the  head  of  which  is  seated  New  Albany  (a 
place  of  great  trade  with  the  Indians)  betwixt  which  and 
New  York  being  above  one  hundred  miles  is  as  good 
corn  land  as  the  world  affords/' 

Such  was  one  of  the  first  published  accounts  of  the 
colony  of  New  York,  written  much  in  the  style  of 
Mandeville,  and  it  is  probably  as  accurate  a  description 
of  Manhattan  Island  and  environs  as  may  be  found. 

The  "  hideous  roaring  "  of  Hell  Gate  has  moder 
ated  its  tone  ;  the  seals  that  once  basked  upon  the 
marshes  of  southern  Long  Island  have  taken  them 
selves  to  more  congenial  shores ;  and  the  whales  and 
grampuses  that  frolicked  in  its  waters  probably  con 
tinue  their  sports  in  quieter  places.  The  bar,  once 
such  an  obstacle  to  navigation,  is  there  no  longer ;  it 
has  subsided  into  the  harbor  bottom  or  else  continues 
its  "  meanings  "  in  some  other  locality,  allowing  ves 
sels  of  the  largest  size  to  approach  the  city  except  at 
the  lowest  tide  :  this  has  proved  of  great  benefit  to  the 
young  colony. 

As  a  violent  storm  makes  itself  known  by  ripples 
breaking  upon  far  distant  shores,  so  the  great  disturb 
ance  in  France  occasioned  by  the  revocation  of  the 
"  Edict  of  Nantes  "  caused  itself  to  be  felt  even  in 
the  insignificant  little  colony  of  New  York ;  the  ma 
jority  of  whose  inhabitants  had  scarcely  recovered  from 
the  shock  occasioned  by  the  fact  of  being  handed  over, 
like  so  much  merchandise,  into  the  hands  of  another 
sovereign. 

During  the  years  1685-6  a  continuous  tide  of  im 
migration  poured  into  this  obscure  colony.  Every 


Philip  Freneau 


vessel  arriving  in  its  port  brought  some  of  the  ref 
ugees;  which  fact  caused  a  considerable  amount  of 
puffing  in  the  long  pipes  of  the  Dutch  inhabitants,  and 
of  increased  loquacity  amongst  the  English  portion  of 
the  colony. 

Not  indeed  that  these  good  people  were  unwilling 
to  extend  the  hospitality  of  the  new  world  to  their 
unfortunate  fellow-creatures,  there  being  quite  a  suf 
ficiency  of  room  for  all ;  but  even  the  best-tempered 
people  are  apt  to  be  discomposed  at  innovations  in 
time-honored  customs,  and  certainly  many  would  be 
necessitated  by  the  admission  of  so  great  a  number 
of  persons  of  a  different  nationality. 

Indeed  they  had  already  commenced.  The  first 
and  most  important  of  which  was  a  change  in  the 
established  postal  system. 

Although  more  than  a  decade  of  years  had  passed 
since  the  government  of  the  colony  as  well  as  its 
name  had  been  changed,  its  members  still  retained  the 
characteristic  trait  of  its  former  proprietors,  —  evi 
denced  in  a  degree  of  phlegmatic  temperament  rarely 
met  with  outside  of  those  in  whose  veins  flow  the 
blood  of  the  settlers  from  Holland,  or  perhaps  in 
others  who,  from  constant  and  intimate  association 
with  them,  had  contracted  the  same  peculiarity. 

The  New  Yorkers  were  certainly  a  slow  people. 
The  "  hideous  roaring  "  of  Hell  Gate  on  the  one  side 
of  them  and  the  harbor  bar  on  the  other,  may  account 
for  foreign  commerce  and  domestic  trade  having  passed 
to  other  ports,  thereby  increasing  the  importance  of 
the  sister  colonies  of  Philadelphia  and  Boston  :  never 
theless  its  best  friends  could  call  it  nothing  else  but  slow. 

In  the  year  1686  the  discontinuance  of  their  postal 
system  called  the  "  Coffee  House  Delivery,"  consid 
ered  sufficiently  good  for  the  past  one  hundred  years, 
was  the  immediate  cause  of  the  present  disturbance  of 
the  even  tenor  of  community  life. 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

One  should  have  lived  in  the  days  of  coffee  houses 
to  fully  understand  the  inconvenience  of  this  innova 
tion. 

During  the  early  days  of  the  Dutch  settlement,  the 
population  of  Nieu  Amsterdam  being  small  and  com 
munication  with  the  mother  country  limited,  there  had 
been  but  little  epistolary  correspondence,  and  that  little 
mostly  confined  to  merchants  respecting  their  cargoes. 

It  was  the  custom  in  those  days  to  hoist  the  flag  of 
the  "Privileged  West  India  Company"  upon  the  flag 
staff  in  the  old  fort,  whenever  a  vessel  appeared  in 
sight ;  and  its  orange  and  blue  decoration  was  the  signal 
for  a  general  turnout  of  the  masculine  portion  of  the 
community  to  watch  and  speculate  upon  the  approach 
of  the  ship. 

Upon  its  arrival,  this  correspondence  was  immediately 
consigned  to  its  respective  owners.  Those  who  ex 
pected  any  news  of  either  personal  or  general  nature 
received  it  by  hand  in  the  former  case,  and  in  the  lat 
ter  contingency  by  word  of  mouth.  If,  perchance, 
there  should  be  an  unclaimed  missive  it  was  left  in  the 
care  of  some  responsible  person  until  an  owner  was 
found  to  claim  it. 

In  time,  however,  the  captains  of  the  vessels,  find 
ing  sufficient  to  occupy  them  besides  answering  ques 
tions  and  delivering  letters,  placed  the  latter,  upon 
landing,  in  the  most  popular  resort  in  those  days, 
which  was  the  coffee  house.  From  there  they  were 
quickly  claimed,  read,  and  discussed  over  cups  of  fra 
grant  coffee.  The  finding  of  owners  for  unclaimed 
missives  was  greatly  facilitated  by  the  custom  of  fas 
tening  them  upon  a  board  hung  in  some  conspicuous 
part  of  the  public  room.  The  endeavor  to  decipher 
the  almost  illegible,  and  in  some  cases  all  but  un 
decipherable,  superscriptions  helped  to  pass  an  idle 
moment  away  and  also  give  basis  for  speculation. 

This   custom   had    been   continued   even   after   the 


Philip  Freneau 


English  had  possession  of  the  settlement,  as  in  the 
coffee  house  met  all  the  great  and  learned  men  of  the 
place,  as  well  as  the  wits  and  visiting  celebrities ;  and 
great  was  the  flow  of  wit  and  reason  over  the  favorite 
beverage,  as  they  discussed  the  news  that  was  inter 
changed  and  circulated  to  an  extent  that  would  cast  in 
to  the  shade  the  far-famed  locutionary  powers  of  the 
fairer  portion  of  the  community  —  but  of  course  men 
will  never  admit  this. 

In  the  year  of  '86  all  this  was  changed,  for  an  of 
ficial  order  had  been  issued  that  all  letters  coming  by 
ships  should  in  future  be  sent  direct  to  the  Custom 
House;  consequently  the  "  Coffee  House  Delivery" 
became  a  thing  of  the  past. 

American  spirit,  however,  was  not  to  be  thus  easily 
conquered;  for  when  later  on  the  British  government 
started  a  post  office,  continental  post  was  likewise  started, 
and  patronized  to  such  an  extent  that  the  governmental 
one  had  very  little  to  do. 

Although  letters  were  no  longer  distributed  there, 
the  coffee  houses  still  held  their  own  in  the  public  af 
fection  as  places  of  general  resort ;  holding  amongst  our 
ancestors  the  place  the  club  houses  of  the  nineteenth 
century  do  to  their  descendants.  There,  matters  of 
great  importance  as  well  as  matters  of  no  importance 
at  all  were  discussed,  from  wars  and  rumors  of  wars 
abroad  to  a  runaway  horse  at  home.  Every  ship  ar 
rival  supplied  a  stock  of  news  to  be  exchanged  or  re 
tailed  in  greater  or  lesser  quantities  as  suited  the  will 
of  the  giver  and  the  moderate  or  immoderate  desires 
of  the  recipient. 

When  the  subject  of  taxation  without  representation 
was  discussed,  and,  later  on,  that  of  an  independent 
government  mooted,  the  meetings,  formerly  of  a  social 
nature,  assumed  a  seriousness  befitting  the  matters  dis 
cussed,  and  sittings  were  long  and  frequent.  It  was 
in  the  coffee  house  known  as  "  The  City  Arms/*  which 

[16] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

faced  Bowling  Green  that  opposition  to  the  Stamp 
Act  was  first  started.  This  old  building  stood  until  a 
comparatively  late  date,  when  it  was  taken  down  to 
make  way  for  modern  improvements.  It  was  built 
partly  of  brick,  the  sides  and  rear  being  of  wood,  and 
was  surrounded  by  a  garden  in  which  musical  enter 
tainments  were  given.  Tradition  says  that  Benedict 
Arnold  lodged  in  this  house  after  his  treason. 

During  British  occupation,  the  coffee  houses  merely 
existed.  Fraunce's  held  its  own,  however,  although  it 
was  more  of  a  hotel  than  coffee  house  proper.  This 
old  building  is  still  standing  at  the  corner  of  Broad 
and  Pearl  streets,  and  has  been  enlarged,  it  being  at 
that  time  only  three  stories  in  height;  it  is  of  brick 
and  was  built  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  cen 
tury  by  Mr.  S.  Delancey,  who  resided  in  it.  It  is  still 
quite  firm  and  may  be  identified  by  the  green  marble 
slab  set  in  the  corner,  stating  that  within  its  walls  Wash 
ington  delivered  his  parting  address  to  the  army.  After 
that  event  it  declined  in  importance. 

After  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  nationality  seemed 
forgotten,  and  the  descendants  of  the  English,  Dutch, 
and  French  met  in  a  loving  brotherhood  born  of 
their  late  common  grievances ;  and  they  chose  for 
their  place  of  mutual  resort  the  "  Merchants'  Coffee 
House,"  which  stood  at  the  corner  of  Wall  and  Water 
streets.  It  is  described  as  a  three-story  building,  a 
store  occupying  the  lower  part.  On  the  second  floor 
was  the  "  Long  Room  "  in  which  public  meetings  were 
held.  Here  statesmen  and  politicians,  merchants  and 
literary  men,  discussed  the  affairs  of  the  nation  over 
their  cups  of  coffee  or  tea. 

Amongst  its  frequenters  might  be  seen  the  majestic 
figure  of  Washington  and  the  angular  one  of  Thomas 
Jefferson,  his  political  opponent,  the  brilliant  Alex 
ander  Hamilton  and  the  intriguing  Aaron  Burr,  Ben 
Franklin,  who  never  contradicted  any  one,  and  Gouv- 


Philip  Freneau 


erneur  Morris,  who  found  fault  with  every  one  except 
General  Washington,  the  refined  Chancellor  Living 
ston  and  that  rock  of  sense,  John  Jay,  George  Clinton, 
the  anti-Federal  governor,  and  John  Adams  with  royal 
istic  tendencies,  John  Morin  Scott,  the  versatile  lawyer, 
and  William  Bradford,  the  first  public  printer  of  New 
York,  Hugh  Gaines,  the  champion  of  the  free  press, 
and  his  insatiable  satirist,  Philip  Freneau  ;  these,  and 
many  others  perhaps  as  well  known,  found  ample 
subject  for  present  discussion  and  future  conjecture. 
Here  Washington  was  received  upon  his  arrival  in 
the  city  for  the  inaugural  ceremonies.  The  Chamber 
of  Commerce  held  here  its  first  meetings,  and  the 
insurance  business  was  started  within  its  walls,  as  was 
also  the  first  bank  of  New  York.  The  compilation 
of  a  city  directory,  "  the  size  of  a  Westminster  Cate 
chism,"  was  herein  essayed,  and  the  "  Loyal  Sons 
of  St.  Andrew  "  and  the  "  Grand  Lodge  of  Free 
Masons,"  as  well  as  many  other  associations,  held 
their  meetings  inside  its  doors  ;  but  with  the  removal 
of  the  national  government  to  Philadelphia  its  sun 
sank  to  rise  no  more. 

The  year  1686  was  a  marked  one  in  the  little 
colony.  The  mother  country  had  seemed  to  awaken 
to  the  fact  that  its  infant,  and  future  prodigy,  was  still 
acting  under  the  seal  of  Holland  ;  and  forthwith  a 
larger  and  more  elaborate  one  was  granted  it.  The 
same  year  Governor-General  Dongan,  who  had  ac 
corded  a  kind  reception  to  the  Huguenots  since  1683, 
deemed  it  necessary  to  extend  the  city  limits  to  meet 
the  requirements  of  the  increased  population  ;  he 
therefore  ordered  a  survey  of  the  northern  boundary 
of  the  settlement,  and  a  removal  of  its  walls  to  a  more 
remote  locality. 

Hitherto  the  line  of  the  present  Wall  Street  had 
been  defined  by  a  palisaded  work  erected  as  a  means 
of  defence  against  the  Indians;  it  extended  the  entire 


Poet  of  the  Revolution 


width  of  the  island  from  the  shipyard  of  Rip  Van 
Dam,  now  comprised  in  Trinity  churchyard,  but  at 
that  time  the  western  limit  of  the  island,  to  "  Bucther's 
Pen,"  adjoining  the  river  on  the  eastern  limit.  At 
the  head  of  Broadway  was  a  large  gate,  which  was 
closed  every  evening  by  the  city  watch;  and  nearer 
the  river  on  the  eastern  side  was  another,  called  the 
"  Water  Gate,"  through  which  ran  the  road  to  the 
ferry  to  Breucklin,  now  Pearl  Street.  Beyond  this 
gate  stood  the  ferry-house,  by  the  door  of  which  hung 
a  tin  horn  ;  any  one  desiring  to  cross,  by  winding  the 
horn,  would  summon  a  boatman  to  conduct  him  to 
the  opposite  shore,  for  the  moderate  sum  of  one-half 
cent. 

In  many  places  the  works  had  fallen  down  ;  which 
rendered  the  duty  of  closing  the  gates  at  night  quite 
a  nominal  one;  except  that  the  fact  of  doing  so  gave 
the  inhabitants  a  certain  sense  of  security  ;  which  was 
a  great  thing  in  itself.  The  guns  too  had  disappeared, 
and  the  ditches  and  trenches  were  in  a  ruinous 
condition. 

By  the  governor's  orders,  the  palisade  was  removed 
to  the  present  line  of  Chamber  Street,  running  from 
the  river  bank  on  the  west  side  to  the  old  Ferry  house 
on  the  east  side,  now  Catherine  Street  ;  at  every  short 
distance  a  block-house  was  placed.  The  line  of  the 
old  palisade  was  laid  out  into  a  street,  which  took  its 
name  from  the  wall  that  had  once  occupied  its  place. 
The  streets,  that  same  year,  were  paved,  and  they 
were  also  lighted  by  means  of  lanterns  suspended  from 
every  seventh  house  ;  and  a  watch  patrolled  them  all 
the  night,  who  sang  out  the  hours  as  they  passed. 

The  city  limits  were  at  that  time  more  circum 
scribed  than  at  the  present  ;  Greenwich  Street  then 
formed  the  western  boundary,  and  Pearl  Street  the 
eastern  one.  All  ground  beyond  these  streets  has 
been  made  by  filling  in. 

if  9} 


Philip  Freneau 


Recently,  in  excavating  in  the  lower  part  of  Front 
Street,  the  ribs  of  a  vessel  were  unearthed  ;  they  were 
thought  by  some  to  have  been  those  of  the  "  Morning 
Star,"  a  powder  ship  blown  up  in  the  harbor  August 
7,  1778.  This  fact  goes  to  prove  the  encroachment 
of  the  city  upon  the  water  limits. 

The  French  refugees  were  relegated  to  the  eastern 
side  of  Broadway  below  Wall  Street,  and  in  the  vi 
cinity  of  the  "Bucther's  Pen,"  this  being  an  unfavored 
part  of  the  city,  where  the  laboring  portion  of  the 
community  dwelt,  and  there  were  many  unused  lots. 

The  frequent  Indian  incursions  had  caused  the 
settlers  to  centre  around  the  fort  to  such  an  extent 
as  to  endanger  its  safety;  so  much  so  that  certain  offi 
cials  complained  to  the  home  government  that  it 
might  be  easily  scaled  by  placing  ordinary-sized  lad 
ders  upon  the  surrounding  houses. 

This  old  fort  deserves  a  word  for  itself,  it  being  the 
first  and  oldest  structure  of  the  settlement ;  and,  accord 
ing  to  the  author  already  quoted,  "  one  of  the  best 
Pieces  of  Defence  in  the  north  parts  of  America."  I 
am  inclined,  however,  to  the  opinion  that  Mr.  Lamothe 
would  have  said  of  it  the  same  as  he  said  of  an  old 
fort  on  the  Jersey  side  of  the  river,  "  It  is  no  great 
things." 

This  venerable  piece  of  Dutch  antiquity,  that  was 
destined  never  to  hand  down  its  name  to  our  republi 
can  times,  —  indeed,  to  bear  none  for  any  great 
length  of  time,  —  was  erected  in  the  year  1614  by  the 
Nieu  Amsterdamers  as  a  defence  from  the  attacks  of 
the  Indians.  It  is  described  as  a  mere  palisaded 
work,  but  its  form  and  dimensions  have  not  been 
stated ;  it  went  by  the  name  of  Fort  Manhattan  un 
til  1626,  when  its  increase  in  extent,  and  number  of 
inhabitants,  caused  a  more  substantial  work  to  be  con 
structed,  which  upon  completion  was  called  Fort  Am 
sterdam.  It  is  most  probable  that  the  plan  of  De 

[20] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Razieres  was  not  carried  out  to  the  full  extent  of  his 
designs,  as  we  find  Governor  Stuyvesant  alleging,  as 
an  excuse  for  ceding  it  so  easily  to  the  English,  that 
it  was  an  untenable  place,  and  not  fit  to  bear  an  assault 
from  European  firearms.  The  walls,  furthermore,  on 
its  northern  and  northeastern  part,  although  much 
higher  than  those  of  its  other  sides,  were,  nevertheless, 
lower  than  the  ground  beyond.  So  much  higher  was 
the  latter,  he  added,  that  people  sitting  on  it  could  see 
the  very  soles  of  the  shoes  of  those  who  might  be 
standing  on  the  esplanade,  or  bastions  of  the  fort.  In 
deed,  its  walls  for  some  eight  or  ten  years  were  merely 
ramparts  of  earth,  from  eight  to  ten  feet  high.  The 
buildings  within  it,  occupied  by  the  officers  of  the  gar 
rison,  were  composed  of  planks,  or  bark  only,  with 
roofs  of  reeds. 

In  1633  Governor  Van  Twiller  came  to  Nieu  Am 
sterdam  invested  with  full  power  to  better  this  state 
of  things.  Under  his  administration  a  guard-house 
and  barracks  were  constructed,  and  a  wind-mill  erected 
for  grinding  the  grain  for  the  garrison.  A  substantial 
brick  house  took  the  place  of  the  former  governmental 
building,  which  lasted  during  the  successive  administra 
tions  of  the  Dutch  dynasty. 

The  condition  of  the  walls  of  the  fort,  however, 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  improved,  as  we  find  the 
governor  in  his  Council  of  1647  deliberating  as  to  the 
advisability  of  having  them  repaired.  This  was  to  be 
accomplished  by  means  of  "  stones  laid  in  mortar  to 
make  of  it  a  lasting  work ;  "  and  for  this  purpose  it 
was  suggested  that  every  male  inhabitant  between  the 
ages  of  sixteen  and  sixty  should  devote  twelve  days 
of  labor  in  the  year  ;  or  give  instead,  the  sum  of  eighty 
cents  per  day. 

Within  the  fort  and  adjoining  the  gubernatorial 
mansion  there  stood  a  stone  church  of  peculiar  struc 
ture,  consisting  of  two  peaked  roofs  with  a  steeple  be- 

[21] 


Philip  Freneau 


tween  them.  Beyond  this  edifice  stood  the  prison, 
and  further  on  the  guard-house,  barracks,  etc.  These 
buildings  occupied  the  eastern  side  of  the  fort ;  on 
the  western  side  was  the  gate,  defended  by  four  small 
brass  cannon. 

On  the  southwest  bastion  of  the  fort,  at  the  junc 
tion  of  the  present  State  and  Stone  streets,  stood  the 
windmill  and  also  a  large  flagstaff,  upon  which  floated 
the  colors  of  the  "Privileged  West  India  Company" 
whenever  a  vessel  might  appear  in  sight.  By  the  river 
outside  the  fort  stood  the  gallows  and  whipping-post. 

The  governors  varied  in  their  way  of  living  as  well  as 
in  their  manner  of  entertaining,  — these  being  influenced 
to  a  great  extent  by  their  former  social  position  in  the 
mother  country.  As  each  incumbent  furnished  the 
gubernatorial  mansion  himself,  it  varied  considerably  in 
appearance  under  each  administration.  At  times  the 
state  carriage  with  gay  livery  would  drive  in  and  around 
the  fort,  and  the  evenings  were  enlivened  by  music  from 
the  band,  and  other  entertainments. 

The  fashionable  part  of  the  community  resided  along 
the  lower  part  of  Broadway  facing  Bowling  Green,  or 
on  the  environs  of  the  fort. 

In  1664  the  fort  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Eng 
lish,  and  was  called  by  them  Fort  James,  in  honor  of 
the  Duke  of  York,  and  a  battery  was  added  by  the 
river.  The  interior  was  likewise  greatly  improved,  and 
the  mansion  rebuilt. 

In  1673  the  Dutch  regained  possession  of  it,  and  its 
name  was  changed  to  that  of  William  Henrick,  which 
name  it  bore  for  an  entire  year.  Under  Governor 
Andros  the  name  was  changed  again  to  Fort  James. 
This  governor  erected  an  armory  between  the  mansion 
and  church  ;  also  a  stockade  around  the  exterior  to  pro 
tect  it  from  wild  animals. 

In  1683  Thomas  Dongan,  an  Irish  Catholic,  for 
merly  Lieutenant  Governor  of  Tangiers,  and  afterwards 

[22} 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Earl  of  Limerick,  was  appointed  governor  of  the 
colony.  Dongan  was  a  highly  accomplished  gentleman, 
upright  in  all  his  dealings,  and  firm  and  judicious  in 
his  policy.  His  strict  integrity  won  the  affection  of 
the  people,  and  caused  him  to  be  one  of  the  most 
popular  of  all  the  royal  governors. 

Governor  Dongan's  first  act  upon  entering  his  ad 
ministration  was  to  summon  the  freeholders  to  the 
fort  to  elect  representatives  to  meet  him  in  council, 
which  resulted  in  giving  to  the  colony  its  first  Legis 
lative  Assembly.  This  Assembly  was  to  consist  of 
the  governor,  ten  councillors,  and  seventeen  repre 
sentatives  chosen  by  the  people,  and  its  first  act  was 
to  give  to  the  province  its  first  Charter  of  Liberties. 
By  this  charter  it  was  decreed  that  the  supreme  legis 
lative  power  should  be  permanently  vested  in  the 
General  Council  and  people,  met  in  general  assembly. 
Second :  that  each  freeholder  and  freeman  might  vote 
for  representatives  without  any  restriction  being  laid 
upon  his  vote.  Third :  that  no  freeman  should  be 
punished  save  by  the  judgment  of  his  peers,  and  that 
all  trials  should  be  held  by  jury.  Fourth :  that  no 
tax  should  be  imposed,  under  any  pretence  whatever, 
without  the  consent  of  the  Assembly.  Fifth :  that  no 
martial  law  should  exist.  And  sixth  :  that  no  person 
professing  belief  in  Jesus  Christ  should,  at  any  time 
or  in  any  way,  be  made  to  suffer  on  account  of 
difference  of  opinion  in  matters  of  religion. 

This  charter  still  forms  the  basis  of  the  municipal 
rights  and  privileges  of  New  York. 

These  liberal  measures  caused  great  rejoicings,  the 
more  so  because  of  the  great  unhappiness  accruing 
from  the  tyranny  of  the  late  Governor  Andros. 

In  1689,  James  II.  having  been  dethroned,  the  fort 
was  seized  by  the  train-bands  or  militiamen ;  and  one 
of  their  captains  was  appointed  to  hold  it  until  the 
will  of  the  Crown  should  be  known. 


Philip  Freneau 


Leisler  having  been  the  one  selected,  he  took  pos 
session  not  alone  of  the  fort,  but  of  all  the  preroga 
tives  of  the  administration.  He  changed  the  name 
of  the  fort  to  that  of  William,  which  it  retained  for 
the  period  of  two  years.  During  his  administration, 
a  half-moon  fortification  was  made  on  the  west  side 
of  the  fort ;  upon  which  seven  guns  were  placed  to 
defend  the  landings  of  both  rivers. 

Leisler,  having  had  a  taste  of  power,  desired  to 
retain  it,  and  refused  to  surrender  possession  of  the 
fort  when  required  to  do  so.  He  was  in  consequence 
immured  in  the  very  prison  he  once  commanded,  and 
was  finally  executed  as  a  rebel. 

The  fort  now  had  the  name  Henry  added  to  it. 
The  old  Dutch  church  was  demolished  and  an  English 
one  was  erected  on  its  site. 

In  1702  the  name  was  again  changed  to  that  of 
Anne,  which  it  bore  until  the  Georges  ascended  the 
throne.  It  never  had  another. 

In  1741  the  mansion  was  burned  down  and  the  fire 
was  attributed  to  the  slave  population,  the  famous 
"  Negro  Plot"  having  originated  in  this  year.  The 
mansion  was  rebuilt  and  an  additional  battery  added 
to  the  fort;  but  in  1773,  while  Governor  Tryon  was 
the  incumbent,  the  building  again  took  fire  and  was 
entirely  consumed  in  two  hours'  time. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  the  entire 
fortification  was  removed,  to  make  room  for  the  presi 
dential  mansion,  which  was  planned  to  face  Bowling 
Green.  At  that  time  the  exterior  appearance  of  the 
fort  was  that  of  a  green  sloping  bank,  about  fourteen 
feet  high ;  and  above  it  arose  the  walls  to  an  additional 
height  of  twenty  feet.  A  portion  of  the  materials  was 
used  in  building  the  mansion. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  colony  the  houses  were 
mostly  built  of  bricks  brought  from  Holland.  These 
were  of  different  colors  and  set  in  patterns  and  glazed, 

[24} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

the  prevailing  colors  being  red  and  black.  The  ends 
of  the  houses  always  faced  the  streets  ;  the  gables,  ris 
ing  by  successive  steps  to  a  point,  were  always  sur 
mounted  by  a  weathercock.  Under  the  projecting 
eaves  was  a  "  stoep,"  on  either  side  of  which  were 
seats  adapted  to  social  intercourse.  The  lower  win 
dows  of  the  houses  were  made  quite  small,  as  a  precau 
tion  against  the  incursions  of  the  Indians. 

The  interiors  of  the  houses  were  kept  scrupulously 
clean ;  the  planed  floors  were  well  scrubbed  and 
sanded,  and  traced  with  delicate  designs  ;  the  oaken 
rafters  were  polished  and  carved  in  devices  and  mot 
toes  ;  and  the  doors  were  perforated  with  bull's-eyes 
and  well  scrubbed  with  sand. 

Furniture,  in  those  days,  was  more  for  use  than 
comfort  or  ornament.  Chairs  were  high-backed  and 
rush-bottomed,  and  made  of  red  walnut  or  mahogany. 
Tables  were  round,  and  turned  by  means  of  a  pivot  to 
a  fan  shape  and  were  usually  placed  against  the  wall 
when  not  in  use.  Couches  were  covered  with  worsted 
damask,  and  clocks  extended  from  floor  to  ceiling. 
In  the  corner  of  the  best  room  there  usually  stood  a 
buffet  with  glass  doors,  containing,  as  well  as  display 
ing,  the  family  plate  and  china ;  conspicuous  amongst 
which  was  a  huge  punch-bowl,  also  tiny  cups  and  sau 
cers,  and  tea  and  coffee  pots  with  silver  handles  and 
spouts.  Sideboards  were  not  introduced  until  after 
the  Revolution,  and  were  very  small. 

Stoves  were  unknown ;  but  open  fireplaces,  with 
shining  fire-dogs,  gave  a  cheerful  appearance  to  the 
rooms.  Small  bits  of  carpet,  usually  imported  by  the 
family,  were  sparingly  laid  in  the  "best  room." 
Coaches  were  rare,  there  being  for  some  time  only 
four  or  five  in  the  entire  settlement. 

As  time  wore  on  and  means  of  communication  with 
Europe  became  less  difficult,  the  wealthier  settlers  were 
enabled  to  import  their  furniture  ;  and  carpets  began 


Philip  Freneau 


to  make  their  appearance  in  most  of  the  better  class  of 
dwellings,  which  soon  began  to  assume  a  degree  of 
luxury  hitherto  unknown. 

A  certain  John  Miller,  chaplain  to  the  fort,  seems 
to  have  kept  the  statistics  of  the  colony.  He  com 
puted  the  number  of  families  in  New  York,  in  the  year 
1692,  to  have  been  three  thousand.  Of  these,  one  half, 
he  says,  were  Dutch  and  rich,  but  sparing;  the  other 
half  was  composed  of  English  and  French,  of  whom  the 
former  outranked  the  latter  in  numbers,  and  were 
neither  rich  nor  economical,  and  the  last  mentioned 
were  poor  and  necessarily  penurious.1 

This  worthy  dominie  depicts  things  from  a  rather 
dismal  standpoint.  He  calls  the  inhabitants  an  un 
godly  people,  who  have  no  care  for  heavenly  things  ; 
but  instead  turn  everything  to  drink  or  money  to  buy 
it  with.  "  Even  the  crops,"  he  says,  "  are  usually 
such  as  will  yield  some  kind  of  liquor,  cider,  perry, 
etc." 

A  more  cheerful  writer  of  the  gentler  sex,  on  a  visit 
from  Boston,  describes  the  same  city  as  "  a  delightful 
place;  where  the  inhabitants  are  courteous  and  hospi 
table;  where  families  interchange  invitations  to  dinners 
and  suppers,  at  which  times  the  tables  are  crowded 
with  provisions  ;  where  the  families  mostly  dine  at 
one  o'clock,  and  never  later  than  two  in  the  day ;  and 
games  of  cards  engross  the  post-prandial  hours  of  the 
more  leisurely  part  of  the  community." 

There  were  no  theatres,  to  be  sure,  as  in  Boston  ;  but 
concerts  were  given  by  amateurs,  and  there  were  as 
semblies  for  dancing  which  met  in  a  large  hall,  the 
entrance  being  by  subscription.  As  unanimous  con 
sent  from  all  the  members  was  necessary  to  secure  a 
membership,  the  affair  was  very  select.  At  these  as 
semblies  the  stately  minuet  and  sprightly  cotillion  were 

1  The  West  India  Company  incorporated  Nieu  Amsterdam  as  a  city  in 
1653,  and  modelled  its  government  after  that  of  Amsterdam. 

[26] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

the  order  of  the  evening,  the  latter  dance  having  been 
introduced  by  the  French. 

Marriages  and  funerals  were  public ;  but  notes  of 
invitation  to  them  were  issued.  The  funerals  were 
followed  by  long  processions  on  foot,  as  no  public 
conveyances  were  used  prior  to  the  year  1789,  and 
very  few  families  owned  a  "  leathern  conveniency  "  as 
Robert  Murray  styled  his  carriage. 

Without  a  doubt  the  French  refugees  bore  a  promi 
nent  part  in  the  great  change  in  the  colony,  and  they 
undoubtedly  infused  new  life  into  its  veins. 

As  we  have  said,  the  Dutch  were  a  slow  people. 
They  were  noted  for  the  slowness,  perseverance,  and 
the  plodding  tenor  of  their  lives;  they  had  got  into  a 
groove  and  they  steadily  persevered  in  it.  Their 
social  life  had  always  been  simple,  domestic,  and 
unostentatious. 

The  English  were  formal,  and  held  strict  ideas  of 
caste,  which  consisted  of  a  lower,  middle,  and  upper 
class ;  the  barriers  separating  each  were  impregnable 
and  insurmountable.  Some  of  the  wealthier  Dutch 
families  held  aloof  from  strangers,  and  formed  a  dis 
tinct  class  by  themselves ;  but  the  majority  met  the 
British  officers  and  attaches  at  public  entertainments ; 
and  after  a  time  adopted  their  idea  of  caste. 

The  Huguenots  were  naturally  romantic,  vivacious, 
and  chivalric;  and,  freed  somewhat  from  the  over 
shadowing  vigilance  of  their  founder's  spirit,  and  hav 
ing  no  party  feeling  like  the  others,  they  formed,  as  it 
were,  a  bond  of  union  between  them. 

The  original  settlers,  finding  no  reason  for  alarm 
at  the  inroad  upon  their  hospitality,  and  shaken  out 
of  the  narrow  groove  in  which  the  course  of  their 
existence  had  formerly  run,  could  not  but  acknowledge 
the  beneficial  effect  of  the  leaven  from  France.  Im 
mediately  upon  their  arrival,  the  Huguenots  had 
commenced  to  ply  their  industries,  and  very  soon  that 


Philip  Freneau 


portion  of  the  city  which,  through  force  of  circum 
stances,  they  had  been  compelled  to  accept  —  the 
vicinity  of  Bucther's  Pen,  it  having,  in  all  probability, 
moved  away  with  the  city's  limits  —  gave  evidence 
of  their  thrift  and  consequent  prosperity. 

Moreover,  the  first  destitute  refugees  had  been  fol 
lowed  in  course  of  time  by  others  ;  who  had  been  more 
fortunate  in  bringing  with  them  some  of  their  patri 
mony.  Nearly  every  ship  of  those  that  arrived  once 
a  month  from  England  brought  over  families  of 
wealthy,  and  even  noble  ancestry. 

The  refugees  of  the  better  class  had  mostly  engaged 
in  mercantile  or  commercial  pursuits.  They  had 
erected  comfortable  and  even  handsome  dwellings,  and 
the  elegance  and  refinement  of  their  private  life  caused 
the  aristocracy  amongst  the  Dutch  and  English  to  wel 
come  them  to  their  entertainments,  and  to  take  pleas 
ure  in  being  entertained  by  them. 

The  style  of  architecture  likewise  had  greatly  im 
proved.  Pearl  Street,  at  that  time  the  first  one  west 
of  Broadway,  and  which  between  State  and  Whitehall 
streets  was  extremely  narrow,  contained  some  hand 
some  dwellings. 

At  Coenties  Slip  stood  the  municipal  buildings,  up 
to  the  time  of  their  removal  to  Wall  Street,  in  the 
early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  There,  also, 
stood  a  celebrated  inn  for  the  reception  of  visitors  to 
the  city,  this  spot  having  been  chosen  on  account  of 
the  exceeding  beauty  of  its  prospect,  and  its  aristocratic 
surroundings. 

At  the  slip,  Pearl  Street  curved  to  the  north,  widen 
ing  considerably  at  Hanover  Square  ;  it  also  changed 
its  name  at  different  stages  in  its  course,  assuming 
first  that  of  Dock  Street,  then  Hanover  Square, 
Queen  and  finally  Magazine  Street. 

On  this  street  the  gable  ends  ceased  to  face  the 
street,  and  "  stoeps "  and  benches  yielded  to  roof 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

balconies,  which  formed  pleasant  and  more  retired 
localities  for  rest,  recreation,  or  sociability.  From 
these  elevated  pleasure  gardens  might  be  seen  the 
beautiful  shores  of  Nutten  *  and  Nassau  Islands,2  with 
Staten  Island  and  the  highlands  of  the  North,  or 
Hudson,  River  forming  a  background. 

Here  one  might  enjoy  at  evening  the  fresh  ocean 
breezes  wafted  over  the  lovely  bay,  and  from  the 
Sound  through  South  River;3  and  the  gentle  lapping 
of  the  water  in  Countess*  Slip 4  made  itself  heard  in 
the  quietness  of  the  night. 

In  course  of  time  Bowling  Green  and  Lower  Broad 
way,  which  had  been  par  excellence  the  aristocratic 
part  of  the  city,  gave  precedence  to  their  rival  Pearl 
Street,  just  above  Hanover  Square. 

This  square  was  then  the  fashionable  shopping 
locality ;  and  there  might  be  seen  old  Dutch  and 
high  English  dames,  mingling  with  the  fair  daughters 
of  sunny  France,  to  admire  the  fashions  from  over 
the  sea  —  six  months  old  or  more. 

Dress  at  this  period  was  greatly  attended  to  by 
both  sexes,  —  the  ladies  attiring  themselves  quite  ele 
gantly,  and  the  young  men  appearing  Beau  Brummels 
of  a  Sunday,  with  coats  of  every  color  and  indeed  of 
several  colors  combined.  The  skirts  of  the  coats 
were  frequently  lined  with  silk  and  satin  of  delicate 
hues,  and  the  collars  were  of  velvet  or  silk,  of  quite 
different  colors  from  the  garment.  Sometimes,  indeed, 
instead  of  collars  the  coats  were  finished  off  with  sev 
eral  small  capes.  It  is  probable  the  young  men  were 
as  frequently  met  in  Hanover  Square  as  were  their 
lady  friends,  mothers,  sisters,  and  loves  —  on  business 
matters  of  course,  for  men  are  never  frivolous. 

In  1754  Mr.  Walton,5  who  had  accumulated  a  for- 

1  Governor's  Island.  2  Long  Island. 

8  East  River  now.  4  Coenties  Slip. 

5  Mr.  Walton  married  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Delancey. 


Philip  Freneau 

tune  in  foreign  trade,  built,  in  Pearl  Street,  a  house  of 
such  elegance  as  to  compete  with  the  Kenedy  mansion, 
No.  i  Broadway.  Its  fame,  we  are  told,  reaching  the 
mother  country,  was  the  innocent  cause  of  preventing 
any  scruples  from  arising  in  the  maternal  breast,  in 
regard  to  the  taxation  of  her  infant  colonies;  for,  she 
argued,  if  provincial  children  can  build  for  themselves 
such  elegant  mansions,  they  may  well  afford  to  pour 
some  of  their  surplus  gold  into  the  maternal  coffers. 

This  house  was  built  of  yellow  Holland  brick  ;  and 
its  spacious  gardens  bordered  on  South  River.  In 
this  residence,  in  after  years,  Antien  Genet  wedded 
the  daughter  of  Governor  Clinton.  Later  on,  in  No. 
119  of  this  street,  General  Moreau1  lived  when  an 
exile  in  this  country ;  and  his  family  remained  in  it 
while  he  fought  for  the  Allied  Army.  After  his  death 
his  widow  resigned  it  into  the  hands  of  the  executors, 
and  there  was  a  sale  of  his  beautiful  furniture  and 
curios.  A  friend2  of  the  writer's  has  still  in  her  pos 
session  the  elegant  crystal  chandelier  that  hung  in 
the  drawing-room  of  his  house. 

The  wealthy  merchant  Jumel,  who  loaned  of  his 
fortune  so  largely  to  France  in  her  need,  also  resided 
in  this  street. 

Although  the  lower  portion  of  Manhattan  Island 
was  composed  of  sandy  soil,  it  nevertheless  bore  a  good 
supply  of  elm,  maple,  and  sycamore  trees,  as  also  Nor 
mandy  poplars,  that  stood  like  grim  sentinels  along  the 
streets. 

1  There  is  an  amusing  anecdote  related  of  General  Moreau  while  in 
this  country.      He  was  invited  to  a  concert,  during  which  a  piece  was 
sung,  the  refrain  being  "to-morrow,  to-morrow.1'      The  general,  under 
standing  English  but  imperfectly,  supposed  the  song  was  composed  in  his 
honor  and  the  refrain  to  be  the  repetition  of  his  name  ;  he  consequently 
thought  it  obligatory  to  acknowledge  the  mark  of  respect.      The  audience 
were  consequently  astonished  by  seeing  him  rise  and  bow  most  respect 
fully  on  all  sides  as  often  as  the  refrain  was  repeated.      Many  of  them 
did  not  know  the  illustrious  man  by  sight. 

2  Mrs.  Julius  G.  Caryl. 

[30] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

In  1732  walks  were  laid  out  in  Bowling  Green,  and 
bordered  with  shade  trees ;  it  then  took  the  place  of  a 
modern  park.  Shortly  after,  however,  fashion  changed 
its  location  to  Pearl  street,  and  thus  began  its  march 
up  town  which  it  continues  to  the  present  time. 


Chapter  Third 


ALTHOUGH  a  French  congregation  had  been 
established  in  the  early  days  of  the  colony,  it 
had  ceased  to  exist  before  the  year  1678  ; 
or  that  in  which  the  Rev.  Peter  Daille,  the  first  min 
ister  of  whom  we  have  any  record,  began  to  hold 
French  services.  It  is  not  probable  that  the  first  con 
gregation  had  any  distinct  edifice,  as  Mr.  Daille  was 
obliged  to  make  use  of  the  old  church  in  the  fort ;  he 
holding  his  services  between  those  of  the  Dutch  in  the 
forenoon,  and  the  English  in  the  afternoon. 

In  the  year  1687  the  Rev.  Pierre  Peiret  arrived 
amongst  a  band  of  refugees,  with  the  intention  of 
ministering  to  their  spiritual  interests.  As  their 
number  was  constantly  increasing,  it  was  deemed  fit 
ting,  and  even  necessary  that  they  should  have  a 
church  for  themselves.  Mr.  Peiret  consequently 
proceeded  to  erect  a  small  building  on  Marketfield 
Street.  It  was  a  very  humble  beginning,  certainly,  as 
its  entire  length  was  only  forty-eight  feet  nine  inches, 
by  a  front  width  of  twenty-seven  feet  seven  inches. 
A  passage  taken  off  from  the  width  rendered  the 
greater  part  of  the  building  only  twenty-five  feet  wide. 

Upon  Leisler's  usurpation  of  the  administration, 
the  Huguenots  divided  into  two  parties ;  one  of 
these  being  headed  by  Mr.  Peiret,  the  other  by  Mr. 
Daille.  The  former  party  opposed  Leisler's  adminis 
tration  ;  but  the  latter  favored  it  to  such  a  degree  as 
to  endanger  his  adherents  in  their  efforts  to  have  him 
released  from  prison,  and  saved  from  death  by  execution. 
Party  feeling  ran  so  high  that  the  French  congrega 
tion  never  again  became  thoroughly  united. 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

After  Leisler's  death,  Mr.  Daille  removed  to  Bos 
ton  ;  and  it  is  probable  that  his  representation  of  the 
state  of  affairs  in  the  New  York  congregation  helped 
in  a  great  measure  to  cause  the  misunderstanding 
between  Mr.  Gabriel  Bernon  and  the  French  con 
gregation  in  that  city. 

The  colony  by  this  time,  counted  some  two  hun 
dred  families ;  and,  although  all  of  them  had  not 
located  in  New  York  city,  sufficient  had  done  so  to 
cause  the  population  to  be  about  one-fourth  French. 

Before  Governor  Dongan's  withdrawal  from  the 
administration,  the  refugees  had  petitioned  him  for  the 
right  of  free  trade  in  the  colonies ;  and  he,  having  for 
warded  the  petition  to  the  king,  had  received  a  favor 
able  answer. 

In  1689  the  administration  had  devolved  upon 
Richard  Coole,  Earl  Bellemont ;  who,  upon  assuming 
control  of  the  colony,  sided  with  the  Leislerites  or 
people's  party  ;  thus  rendering  himself  very  unpopular 
with  Mr.  Peiret  and  the  majority  of  the  French  con 
gregation.  This  unpopularity  was  increased  by  the 
belief  that  he  had  misrepresented  some  matters, 
thereby  injuring  their  interests  with  the  Board  of 
Trade.  So  bitter  was  their  feeling,  that  he  found  it 
necessary  to  take  some  means  of  conciliating  them,  to 
regain  their  support;  which  he  recognized  as  very 
necessary  for  the  success  of  his  administration,  the 
French  having  become  important  factors  in  the  colony, 
by  the  rapid  increase  of  their  numbers. 

Being  on  intimate  terms  of  friendship  with  Gabriel 
Bernon,  the  founder  of  the  Huguenot  colony  in  New 
Oxford,  Massachusetts,  Bellemont  thought  to  gain 
the  support  of  Mr.  Peiret's  party  through  his  influence. 
Inviting  him,  therefore,  to  New  York  for  the  osten 
sible  purpose  of  consulting  with  him  about  matters 
relating  to  the  Crown,  he  laid  before  Bernon  the 
opposition  he  experienced  from  the  French  congrega- 

^J  [ss] 


Philip  Freneau 


tion ;    causing  it  to  appear  like  rebellion  against  the 
king. 

Misled  by  his  representations,  and  acting  in  good 
faith,  Bernon  endeavored  to  become  a  mediator 
between  the  two  parties  ;  and  for  this  purpose  met 
Mr.  Peiret  and  the  principal  members  of  the  dis 
affected  congregation.  Expressing  his  deep  regret 
for  the  feeling  existing  between  the  several  nationali 
ties  and  the  administration,  he  urged  the  French  con 
gregation  to  cultivate  a  more  kindly  feeling. 

To  his  exhortations  they  replied  that  they  would 
prefer  to  go  to  Mississippi  than  to  live  under  Belle 
mont' s  authority.  Bernon,  now  fully  convinced  of 
their  disaffection,  returned  to  Boston  chagrined  at  his 
want  of  success  in  his  pacific  endeavors.  Before 
leaving  New  York,  however,  he  essayed  one  more 
attempt  to  remedy  matters.  Penning  a  letter  full  of 
regret  at  their  conduct  and  expressive  of  his  hopes  for 
their  amendment,  he  left  it  with  his  host  to  be  given 
to  Mr.  Peiret  after  his  own  departure. 

The  minister,  as  well  as  the  congregation,  conscious 
that  they  had  given  no  just  cause  for  offence  in  the 
beginning,  and  that  the  fault  lay  rather  on  the  part  of 
the  governor,  waited  upon  the  latter  in  a  body,  and, 
laying  before  him  the  subject  of  their  grievance,  pro 
tested  their  innocence. 

Bellemont,  like  a  shrewd  politician,  recognizing  his 
mistaken  way  of  gaining  his  end,  strove  to  pacify 
them.  Disowning  his  share  in  the  transaction,  he  left 
Bernon  to  bear  the  brunt  of  their  displeasure  as  having 
misinterpreted  the  sentiments  of  the  governor  towards 
them. 

But  notwithstanding  his  fair  face  in  the  matter, 
Bellemont  was  greatly  displeased  with  the  Hugue 
nots  ;  and  he  took  the  petty  way  of  revenging  himself 
by  suppressing  the  annual  stipend  granted  by  the 
government  for  the  support  of  the  minister. 

[34} 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

The  bitterness  between  all  parties  only  terminated 
at  the  death  of  Bellemont  in  1701. 

Gabriel  Bernon's  letter  to  the  Consistory  of  the  French  Church  in 
New  Tork^  1699. 

NEW  YORK  25™  Mars,  1699. 

Messieurs,  Premier,  partir,  de  cette  Ville,  Je  me  trouve 
oblige  comme  etant  tous  freres  Refugiez,  de  vous  dire,  qve 
Monseigneur  Le  comte  de  Bellemont  ma  fait  venir  ici  pour 
discouvrir,  avec  son  Excellence,  de  certaines,  affaires  qui  Re- 
garde  le  service  du  Roy.  Apres  qvoy  son  Excellence  moi 
aussy  entretenu  de  la  bonne  volonte  qvel  a  pour  vous;  qvel 
voit  avec  douleur  L'animosite  centre  les  Englais  les  francais  et 
hollandois.  Que  son  Excellence  se  fait  du  plaisir  de  Ramenir 
avec  clemence  ceux  qvi  s'eloigne  du  D'voir,  D'eu  a  sa  majeste 
et  a  L'etat,  &c.  Que  son  Excellence  na  favorise  aucun  parti : 
qvel  n'a  d'acception  qve  pour  Les  bons  sujets  du  Roy  Guil- 
leaume  puis  qve  son  Excellence  na  pour  But  Principal  qve  le 
plus  service  de  Dieu  la  gloire  du  Roy,  et  la  prosperite  des 
Peuples;  son  Excellence  nous  exhorte  comme  de  bons  sujets 
de  nous  aymer  afin  qu'etant  unis  D'amitie  nous  soyons  fidelle 
a  son  Majeste  pour  leqvel  nous  D'vons  prier  Dieu  de  benir  ses 
entreprises  et  Luy  donner  une  vie  Longve  et  heureuse.  Amen. 

Pour  moi  J'ai  comme  vous  pour  La  Religion,  A  Bandonne 
Les  Biens  et  notre  patrie,  ainsy  qve  plusieurs  de  nos  freres 
Refugiez  en  divers  endroits  du  monde,  nous  D'vons,  chaq'un 
de  nous,  nous  soumettre  sous  Le  govvernement  ou  nous 
Rencontrons.  C'est  pour  nous  un  grand  Bonheur  et  un 
grand  honneur  de  nous  povvoir  dire  et  Reclamer  bons 
sujets  de  notre  sovveirain  le  Roy  Guillaume,  qve  puis  qve  Dieu 
nous  Commande  de  nous  assujettir  au  puissance  Royale,  qu'on 
ne  peut  avoir  trop  de  veneration  pour  un  sy  grand,  sy  bon  et 
sy  1'Lustre  prince,  n'y  trop  de  Respect  pour  ses  govverneurs 
qvi  nous  Le  Represente:  On  peut  qvelqve  Lois  Bien  avec 
Respect  se  familliariser  avec  Les  puissance ;  mais ;  on  ne  peut 
Jamais  sans  Crime,  Pasquinir  ou  felonir  L'Autorite  Royale 
ceux  qvi  agissent  par  felonie  et  Pasqvinerie  qve  Les  Loys 
d'Engleterre  Condamne,  meprise  L'Etat  &c.  (sic).  J'ay  vue 
avec  Douleur  qvelqu'un  s'eloigner  du  D'voir  qve  nous  D'vons 
a  son  Excellence  Monsigneur  Le  Comte  de  Bellemont. 

[35} 


Philip  Freneau 


Ne  croyez  pas  qve  je  sois  assey  temeraire  pour  meriger  en 
Senseur,  ny  pour  vous  Rien  Prescrire.  Mais  J'ai  Creu  en  frere 
pouvoir  vous  dire  mon  veritable  sentiments  cette  Diversite  de 
goust,  s'accorder ;  vaus  etes  pour  Mischipipi  ?  Je  suis  pour 
Road  'Island.  Je  vous  offre  mes  services  La  et  par  tout 
ailleurs.  Je  feray  tousjours  gloire  de  vous  assurer,  Qye  Je 
suis  avec  Respect, 

Messieurs, 

Votre  tres  humble  et  tres  obeissant  serviteur 
et  frere  Refugie, 

GABRIEL  BERNON. 
Messieurs  D'L'Eglise  francoise, 
de  la  novelle  York.1 

Answer  of  the  Consistory  of  the  French  Church  in  New  York  to 
Gabriel  Bernon,  1699. 

YORK,  Le  22C  May,   1699. 

Monsieur,  V^  Letre  qve  vous  avez  ecrite  a  M[  Jamain 
nous  oblige  a  rompre  Le  silence  sur  un  sujet  qve  nous  avions 
resolu  de  laisser  dans  Poublir  c'est  une  mechante  Libelle  qve 
Mr..  Gabriel  Bernon  (sic)  laissa  icy  en  partant  entre  les  mains 
de  son  hote,  avec  ordre  de  la  rendre  apres  son  depart  a  mess" 
de  1'Eglise  francoise  da  ce  lieu,  nous  le  regardames  comme  la 
production  d'un  esprit  malade  et  prive  de  jugem1  plustot  digne 
de  pitie  qve  d'indignation  et  nous  creumes  qu'au  lieu  de  le 
relever  il  valoit  mieux  1'ensevelir  sous  le  voile  de  Charite, 
mais  comme  il  a  lui  meme  public  sa  honte  en  distribuant 
des  Copies  de  cet  ecrit  nous  avons  lieu  de  croire  qu'il 
avait  etc  pousse  a  le  faire  par  un  autre  motif  qve  celui  de 
1'indiscretion  qvi  lui  est  si  naturelle  et  qve  nous  povvons 
prendre  1'accusation  qu'il  fait  centre  nous  comme  une  calomnie 
dont  il  a  voulu  salir  ce  troupeau  de  refugiez  vous  trouverez 
dont  bon  s'il  vous  plait  qve  nous  dision  qvelqve  chose  pour 
(jzV)  notre  Justification  et  qve  nous  vous  addression  ces  Lignes 
tant  pour  vous  affermir  dans  le  sentiment  qve  vous  temoignez 
avoir  de  son  precede,  qve  pour  detromper  ceux  qvi  en  ont 
en  de  mauvaise  impressions  contre  nous,  vous  priant  de  les  faire 
voir  a  messr.?  du  consistoire  de  votre  Eglise  et  a  tous  ceux  qui 
peuvent  etre  prevenus. 

1  The  Huguenots  in  France  and  America,  vol.  ii.,  p.  118. 

[36} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Cette  homme  suppose  comme  vous  avez  veu  dans  la  Copie 
de  la  lettre  qu'il  vous  a  remise  qve  nous  sommes  ennemis  du  Roy 
tratres  au  Gouvernement  et  violateurs  du  Respect  qvi  est  deu 
a  Monseigf.  Le  Comte  de  Bellemont  et  il  nous  fait  esperer  de 
trovver  1'impunite  de  nos  Crimes  dans  la  Clemence  de  ce 
seigneur  pourveu  qve  nous  rentrions  dans  notre  devoir,  et  il 
nous  a  fait  entendre  qve  n'ayant  rien  peu  gagner  sur  nous  par 
ces  Exhortations  de  ces  Crimes  odieux  dont  le  moindre  merite 
sans  doute  un  chatiment  severe  il  a  etc  oblige  de  laisser  cette 
Lettre  pour  tenter  d'obtenir  par  son  ecrit  ce  qu'il  navait  peu 
obtenir  par  ces  paroles  et  qve  ce  qu'il  a  fait  a  cet  egard  il  la 
fait  par  ordre  de  Monseigneur  le  Govverneur. 

Mais  premierement  il  est  faux  qve  le  Govverneur  lui  aye 
Jamais  donne  aucun  ordre  sur  cela  et  nous  le  soutenons  har- 
dimentparceqvenous  etans  presentez  deux  fois  a  son  Excellence 
en  corps  de  Consistoire  accompagney  de  qvelque  chefs  de 
famille  pour  nous  elancir  la  dessus  elle  a  eu  la  bonte  de  nous 
declarer  qvelle  n'avait  point  aux  parler  de  cela  et  qve  si  elle 
eut  connu  qveP  qu'un  coupable  de  ces  crimes  elle  1'avait  pour- 
suivre  selon  la  rigeur  de  Lois  sans  imputer  au  corps  le  crime 
des  particuliers,  qve  les  expressions  de  cette  letre  etaient 
horrible  et  qve  Mr  Bernon  avait  mal  fait  de  rendre  sa  Letre 
publiqve  il  ne  scaurait  dont  des  avouer  qve  nous  ne  soyons  en 
droit  de  la  revetir  du  titre  de  menteur  et  qve  sa  hardiesse  a 
mentir  ne  soit  d'autant  plus  impudente,  qu'il  commet  1'honneur 
d'une  personne  pour  laqvelle  il  nous  accuse  de  manqver  de 
respect,  cependant  c'est  par  le  profond  respect  qve  nous  avons 
pour  Monseigneur  Le  Comte  de  Bellemont  qve  nous  n'avons 
point  voulu  entreprendre  de  nous  justifie  par  cette  ecrit 
qu'apres  en  avoir  obtenu  la  permission  de  son  Excellence. 

II  est  encore  faux  qu'il  ait  tenu  a  aucune  de  nous  pendant 
le  sejour  qu'il  a  fait  ici,  des  discours  ;  nous  ne  disons  pas 
semblables  a  ceux  de  sa  letre,  mais  approchans  en  aucune 
maniere  s'il  nous  eut  veu  veritablement  engagez  dans  les 
Crimes  dont  il  nous  accuse  ou  qve  1'imbecilite  de  son  esprit 
eut  pris  des  phantomes  pour  des  realitez,  il  devait  nous 
reprocher  nos  rebelions  et  nous  representer  nos  devoirs  entant 
de  rencontres  ou  nous  avons  ou  avec  lui  des  conversations 
longues  et  familieres  et  degage  de  toute  craintre  :  au  contraire 
ayant  etc  soubconne  d'avoir  rapporte  a  my  Lord  qu'un  de  nos 

[J7J 


Philip  Freneau 


francois  avait  term  des  discours  trop  libre  touchant  le  Gov- 
vernement  il  entreprit  de  se  justifier ;  et  n'oublia  rien  pour 
eloigner  tout  le  soupcon.  N'etait  ce  pas  la  le  Lieu  de  s'ovvrir 
et  de  nous  dire  ce  qu'il  a  ecrit  cependant  il  na  la  point  fait  ni 
rien  d'approchant,  mais  voulant  pourtant  nous  charger  et  nous 
rendre  odieux  en  nous  imputant  des  Crimes  dont  il  a  bien  veu 
qve  nous  n'etions  pas  coupable,  puis  qu'il  na  ose  nous  les 
reproacher  par  les  voye  naturelles,  il  a  laisse  cette  libelle 
difamatoire  entre  les  mains  de  son  hote  avec  un  Ordre  premier 
de  ne  point  nous  la  rendre  qu'apres  son  depart  semblables  a 
ces  laches  assassins  qve  se  cachent  afin  d'oter  la  vie  a  ceux  qu'ils 
n'aiment  point  le  voila  dont  deux  foix  a  menteur  sur  un  meme 
sujet,  pour  le  fond  de  son  accusation  il  ni  eut  Jamais  rien  de 
plus  contraire  a  la  verite,  il  n'est  pas  necessaire  qu'il  nous 
passer  des  Lecons  pour  nous  remontrer  Pobligation  ou  nous 
sommes  d'honorer  le  Roy  Guilluame  nous  le  scauons  et  nous 
serions  les  gens  du  mondes  les  plus  ingrat  et  les  plus  uniqve  si 
nous  manqvions  en  ce  devoir  car  nous  recoinnaissons  qve  nous 
sommes  redevable  a  cette  incomparable  Prince  de  tout  le  repos 
dont  nous  jouissons  et  qve  Dieu  la  fait  naitre  pour  la  Conser 
vation  de  son  Eglise  et  pour  la  Consolation  de  tant  de  pavvres 
qui  ont  echape  au  persecuteurs  de  france  mais  on  de  doit  pas 
craindre  qve  nous  Tombions  dans  cette  ingratitude  nous  serions 
bien  plus  capable  de  faire  notre  idole  de  ce  grand  et  glorieux 
monarque  qve  d'oblier  la  veneration  la  fidelite  et  Tobbeisance 
qve  nous  La  devons. 

II  n'est  pas  non  plus  necessaire  qu'il  nous  avertisse  qve 
nous  devons  respecter  ses  Gouverneurs,  nous  le  scauons  et 
nous  le  practiquons  comment  pourrons  nous  ne  pas  avoir 
du  respect  pour  des  personnes  qui  represente  dans  Leur 
Govern* — Le  Roy  Guillaume  qui  est  1'object  de  tout  ce  qve 
nous  pouvons  concevoir  d'estime,  d'amour,  et  de  veneration 
dans  1'ordres  des  affaires  humaines,  nous  respectons  Monseigr..  Le 
Comte  de  Bellemont  et  nous  honnorons  sa  personne  et  son 
charactere  et  nous  receverons  toujours  ses  ordres  avec  soumis- 
sion.  Pour  le  Gouvernment  nous  nous  y  sommes  toujours 
soumis  avec  plaisir  tout  parceque  la  proffession  du  Christian- 
isme  nous  y  oblige  qve  parceqve  le  Comparant  au  Gouveren'  de 
france  sous  laqvel  nous  avons  gemi  si  longtemps,  nous  le 
trouvons  extremement  doux  et  humain  et  proportione  au  droits 

{38} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

de  la  nature  nous  protestons  qve  nous  serons  toujours  prest  a 
la  deffendre  de  tout  notre  pouvoir  contre  tous  ceux  qvi  entre- 
prendront  de  le  troubler  ce  sont  la  nos  veritable  sentiments 
opposez  comme  vous  le  voyez  au  accusations  de  Mr..  Bernon 
et  nous  ne  doutons  pas  qve  tout  ce  qu'il  y  a  d'honnete  Gens 
ne  fut  disposez  a  nous  rendre  ce  temoinage  s'il  etait  necessaire 
comme  il  nous  fut  rendu  il  ny  a  qve  peu  de  Jours  par  le 
procureur  du  Roy  qvi  recconut  devant  monseigr..le  Gov- 
vernr..  lors  que  nous  pleignisme  a  son  Excellence  des  accusa 
tions  de  M.*.  Bernon  qve  nous  nous  etions  toujours  montrez 
fort  affectionez  au  Gouvernment  et  qve  le  Roy  n'avait  pas  de 
meilleurs  sugets  qve  nous. en  Effet  si  il  en  avait  quelqun  parmi 
nous  qui  parut  anime  des  pensees  qve  cette  homme  nous 
impute  nous  le  retrencherions  de  notre  Corps  comme  un 
monstre  indigne  de  notre  Societe  nous  vous  prions  Mons'.de 
les  faire  connaistre  a  tous  ceux  a  qvi  les  discours  de  Mr..  Bernon 
peuvent  avoir  donne  des  preventions  contre  nous,  c'est  la 
toute  la  vengeance  qve  nous  voulons  prendre  de  lui  encore 
qu'il  nous  soit  fort  dur  de  nous  voir  accusez  par  un  homme 
qvi  porte  avec  nous  le  titre  d'Exile  pour  la  religion  et  qvi  veut 
icy  nous  faire  de  feintes  protestations  d'amitie  nous  lui  pardon- 
nons  de  bon  coeur  lui  soubsistant  une  Conduite  droite  a  1'avenir 
et  un  judgement  plus  solide  et  a  vous  la  Benediction  de 
Dieu  &c 

(sic) 

Monsieur  Votre  &c  PEIRET  Ministre 

JEAN  BARBARIE 
ELIE  BOUDINOT 
PAUL  DROILET 
GABRIEL  LE  BOYTEULX 

The  family  of  Bernon,1  or,  de  Bernon,  as  it  was 
known  in  France,  was  originally  from  Burgundy, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  families  of  the 
kingdom.  It  claims  its  descent  from  the  younger 
branch  of  the  Counts  of  Burgundy,  several  of  whose 
princes  have  borne  the  name  from  the  year  895.  Its 

1  As  Bernon  was  a  connection  of  Freneau's  family,  we  give  a  short 
sketch  of  his  life  and  labors  for  his  countrymen  in  America. 

{.39} 


Philip  Freneau 


arms *  from  the  fourteenth  century  were  borne  by  the 
Counts  of  Ma9on. 

That  branch  of  the  family  of  which  Gabriel  Bernon, 
the  refugee,  was  a  descendant,  has  or  had,  in  its  pos 
session  all  the  documents  necessary  to  prove  its  iden 
tity  from  the  time  of  Raoul  de  Bernon.  This  house 
is  allied  to  some  of  the  most  illustrious  families  of 
France.  It  has  rendered  distinguished  services  to  its 
country,  and  has  numbered  amongst  its  members 
superior  officers  of  great  merit  in  the  army,  as  well  as 
in  the  navy.  Several  of  its  names  are  found  in  the 
"  Livre  d  'Or  de  la  Noblesse "  as  belonging  to  the 
Order  of  Saint  Louis. 

The  name  of  de  Bernon  is  found  amongst  those  of 
the  families  that  were  represented  in  the  Crusades  in 
the  year  1191.  In  the  sixteenth  century  it  is  seen 
contributing  towards  the  ransom  of  the  sons  of 
Fra^ois  ist,  who  were  held  as  hostages  by  Spain  after 
the  battle  of  Pavia.  It  also  sent  money  by  the  hands 
of  Duplessis-Mornay  to  Henri  Quatre,  to  assist  him 
in  his  efforts  to  obtain  the  throne. 

Besides  the  claims  to  nobility  entailed  by  their 
Burgundian  ancestors,  the  Bernons  of  La  Rochelle 
possess  still  another  claim  to  distinction,  several  of  the 
mayors  of  that  city  having  been  furnished  by  them. 
To  have  held  the  office  of  mayor  of  that  city,  accord 
ing  to  the  customs  of  the  time,  conferred  rank,  not 
alone  to  the  person  who  had  held  the  office,  but  to 
his  heirs  forever. 

Raoul  de  Bernon,  who  served  with  distinction  in 
the  wars  of  his  time,  married  Charlotte  de  Talmont 
and  their  son,  Nicolas,  was  mayor  of  La  Rochelle  in 
the  year  1357.  His  son  held  the  same  office  in  1398. 
Jean  Thomas,  son  of  the  latter,  founded  the  two 

1  Azur  a  un    chevron    d' argent   surmonte    d'un  croissant    de    meme, 
compagne  en  chef  de  deux  etoiles  d'or  et  en  point  d'un  ours   passant 


accompagne 
dememe 


[40} 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

gentilhommieres  or  manors  of  Bernoniere  and  Bernon 
ville,  the  former  deriving  its  name  from  a  small 
chateau  near  Pouzauges  in  Poitou,  now  the  depart 
ment  of  Vendee,  and  the  latter,  from  a  chateau  on  the 
Isle  de  Re.  Jean  Thomas  had  a  son  named  Andre, 
who  had  two  sons :  Pierre,  sieur  de  la  Bernoniere  et 
risleau,  and  Jean. 

Jean's  son  Andre  married  Catherine  du  Bouche 
in  1545,  and  their  son  Leonard  married  Fran9oise 
Carre,  1578,  and  had  two  sons  :  Jean,  sieur  de  Bernon- 
ville,  and  Andre.  The  latter  married  Jeanne  Lescour, 
and,  after  her  death,  Marie  Papin  in  1605  ;  their  two 
sons  were  Leonard,  sieur  de  Bernonville,  and  Andre, 
the  latter  being  the  father  of  Gabriel  the  refugee. 

The  branch  of  the  family  to  which  Andre  belonged 
was  distinguished  as  de  Bernonville,  and  was  amongst 
the  first  in  La  Rochelle  to  embrace  Calvinism.  The 
other  branch,  dela  Bernoniere  de  1'Isleau,  also  adopted 
the  same  belief.1 

Andre,  Gabriel's  father,  was  one  of  ten  children, 
five  of  whom  were  sons,  the  remaining  five  daughters. 
Andre  was  a  prosperous  banker,  and  ancien  of  the 
Huguenot  Church.  He  did  not  long  survive  its 
destruction  and  the  dispersion  of  his  brethren,  but 
died  soon  after  the  Act  of  the  Revocation  of  the  Edict 
of  Nantes  was  passed,  and  was  buried  by  night  in  his 
own  gardens  at  Perigny. 

Samuel  and  Jean  de  Bernon,  Andre's  second  and 
third  sons,  became  zealous  converts  to  the  Catholic 
faith.  Some  of  the  letters  written  by  the  former  to 
Gabriel,  in  reply  to  his  severe  reproaches,  are  still 
extant;  they  prove  the  sincerity  of  his  convictions, 
and  give  the  reasons  for  his  conversion.  As  sieur 
de  Salines  he  lived  in  luxury  in  Poitou.  Jean,  sieur 

1  Bernon  famille  habitant  la  Rochelle  apres  avoir  embrasse  1  'heresie 
de  Calvinisme  n  'a  Jamais  voulu  se  faire  rehabiliter  ;  elle  a  toujours  etc 
riche  et  consideree. —  FILLEAU. 


Philip  Freneau 


de  Luneau,  resided  before  and  after  his  conversion 
in  San  Just.  Ester  escaped  to  England,  and  Jeanne 
married  Jean  Allaire,  brother  to  Alexandre  Allaire,  the 
refugee,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  New  Rochelle,  West- 
chester  County,  in  the  State  of  New  York.  Another 
sister  married  a  Mr.  Du  Pont  of  La  Rochelle,  and  her 
son  Jacque,  along  with  Jeanne's  son,  Louis  Allaire, 
accompanied  their  uncle  Gabriel  Bernon  to.  America. 
Andre  and  Benjamin  Faneuil,  connections  of  the  de 
Bernons,  accompanied  this  party  in  their  flight. 

Gabriel  was  forty-one  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
the  revocation  of  the  Edict,  and  was  one  of  the  leading 
merchants  of  La  Rochelle.  He  married  Ester  Le 
Roy,  the  daughter  of  a  landed  proprietor  whose  resi 
dence  faced  the  royal  palace.  He  was  an  inflexible 
Huguenot  and  had  materially  assisted  the  refugees 
who  had  settled  in  Quebec.  Gabriel  attempted  to 
settle  in  Quebec,  but  on  account  of  his  religious  con 
victions  was  obliged  to  leave  Canada.  Upon  his 
return  to  France  he  was  arrested  and  thrown  into  the 
prison  of  la  Lanterne,  from  which,  after  an  imprison 
ment  of  several  months*  duration,  he  was  released 
through  the  influence  of  his  Catholic  brothers, 
Samuel  and  Jean. 

After  his  release,  Gabriel  disposed  of  his  remaining 
property,  but  he  received  only  about  one-tenth  part 
of  its  value.  He  managed  to  escape  with  this  into 
Holland,  where  his  wife  was  to  meet  him;  but  she  was 
arrested  in  her  attempt,  and  was  only  set  at  liberty 
upon  feigning  conversion.  She  speedily  joined  her 
husband,  however,  and  they  sailed  to  England,  landing 
in  London,  where  they  were  met  by  their  relatives 
Louis  Allaire,  Jacque  Du  Pont,  and  the  two  Faneuils. 

Bernon,  with  the  intention  of  settling  in  America, 
had  sent  several  sums  of  money  to  his  agent  in  that 
country,  who  purchased  a  tract  of  land  of  twenty-five 
hundred  acres  not  very  far  from  Boston  ;  and  later 

{<*} 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

on  he  sailed  for  his  new  home  with  his  wife  and  rela 
tives,  along  with  forty  other  refugees  whose  expenses 
he  paid  to  his  colony. 

Arriving  in  Boston,  he  was  put  in  possession  of  his 
grant  by  the  custom  of  investiture  of  twig  and  turf, 
by  Chief  Justice  Dudley.  Bernon  and  his  nephews 
remained  in  Boston,  leaving  his  agent  to  act  for 
him  in  the  colony  called  New  Oxford;  in  which 
houses,  and  a  fort  and  church  were  soon  built. 

The  community  all  together  amounted  to  about 
eighty  persons;  amongst  whom  was  the  family  of 
Lydia  Sigourney's  husband.  To  all  appearance  there 
was  every  sign  of  success  and  an  increase  of  the  infant 
colony,  as  other  refugees  frequently  joined  it. 

During  King  Philip's  war,  the  Nipmucks  ravaged 
the  surrounding  country,  and  the  Oxford  colonists 
became  greatly  alarmed.  Bernon's  agent,  foreseeing 
danger,  disposed  of  all  the  stock  and  furniture  Bernon 
had  provided,  and  made  off  with  the  proceeds  to 
unknown  parts.  A  visit  from  the  Indians,  attended 
by  the  usual  massacre,  caused  the  colonists  to  take 
refuge  in  the  fort,  which  they  soon  after  abandoned  to 
return  to  Boston.  The  minister  also  went  off,  carry 
ing  with  him  the  books  provided  for  the  use  of  the 
colony,  and  all  papers  of  importance. 

All  that  remains  to  mark  the  spot  of  the  once  pros 
perous  settlement  is  a  huge  cross  bearing  the  following 
inscription  :  — 

IN    MEMORY    OF 

THE 

HUGUENOTS 

EXILES    FOR   THEIR   FAITH 
WHO    MADE   THE    FIRST    SETTLEMENT 

OF 
OXFORD 

1680 

WE   LIVE   NOT    FOR    OURSELVES    ONLY 
BUT    FOR    POSTERITY. 


Philip  Freneau 

"  I  might  have  remained  in  France  and  kept  my 
property,  my  quality,  and  my  titles  if  I  had  been  will 
ing  to  submit  to  slavery,"  wrote,  in  his  old  age,  Gabriel 
Bernon  the  refugee.1 

The  family  of  Allaire,  to  which  Louis  belonged, 
was  another  ancient  family  of  France  ;  and  one  long 
identified  with  the  Huguenot  cause  in  La  Rochelle. 
This  family  was  represented  in  their  congregation,  at 
the  time  of  the  revocation,  by  several  prominent  mem 
bers,  viz.,  Antoine,  sieur  du  Bugnon,  Jean,  the  royal 
secretary,  and  Henri,  Councillor  and  Lieutenant  Gen 
eral  in  Admiralty,  who  were  brothers. 

Belonging  to  a  younger  branch  of  this  family  was 
Pierre,  whose  son  Alexandre  Allaire  came  to  America 
by  way  of  St.  Christopher  in  the  year  1686.  He 
finally  came  to  New  Rochelle,  of  which  settlement  he 
was  one  of  the  most  prominent  members.  Pierre's 
grandson,  and  Alexandre's  nephew,  Louis,  as  we  have 
already  stated,  came  to  Boston  with  his  uncle,  Gabriel 
Bernon,  and  his  other  relatives,  Jacque  Du  Pont  and 
the  Faneuils.  Louis  remained  some  time  in  Boston 
carrying  on  business  between  that  city  and  southern 
parts  under  the  name  of  Louis  Allaire  &  Co.  He 
afterwards  removed  to  New  York  City  where  he  died 
of  a  lingering  illness. 

Andre  Faneuil  located  in  Boston,  of  which  city  he 
became  a  prominent  member.  His  descendant  Peter 
Faneuil  was  the  founder  of  the  building  bearing  his 
name,  and  given  by  him  to  the  city  for  a  town  hall 
and  market.  In  this  building,  located  on  Merchants 
Row  and  Faneuil  Hall  Square,  were  held  all  the  town- 
meetings  during  the  dark  days  preceding  the  Revolu 
tion  which  inspired  and  kept  alive  the  spirit  of  liberty. 
Benjamin  settled  in  New  York  City,  from  which  place 
he  exported  goods  to  London. 

1  Huguenots  in  America,  Baird. 

[44] 


T*he  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

In  1707  the  mate  of  a  sloop  that  had  been  captured 
by  a  French  privateer  while  on  its  way  to  England, 
set  the  report  afloat  that  the  French  inhabitants  of 
New  York  were  plotting  for  the  capture  of  that  city 
by  the  French  ;  and  that  Captain  Benjamin  Faneuil 
bore  a  prominent  part  in  the  matter.  Also  that  they 
were  in  correspondence  with  the  French  government 
to  that  effect. 

The  Huguenots,  upon  hearing  the  slander,  addressed 
a  petition  to  His  Excellency  Lord  Cornbury,  request 
ing  that  the  mate,  Morris  Newinhuysen,  as  well  as 
any  other  person  implicated  in  the  slander,  might  be 
examined;  and  if  it  was  found  that  any  one  had  given 
just  foundation  for  the  report,  he  should  be  punished 
and  the  innocent  freed  from  suspicion. 

The  petition  was  headed :  — 

A  Full  &  Just  Discovery  of  the  weak  & 
slender  foundation  of  a  most  Pernicious 

Slander 

Raised  against  the 

French  Protestant  Refugees 

Inhabiting  the  Province  of  New  York  generally  but  more 

particularly  affecting 
Capt.  Benjamin  Faneuil 
person  of  considerable  note  amongst  them 

The  captain  of  the  vessel,  John  Van  Brugh,  testi 
fied  that  the  mate  had  told  him  that  a  boatswain  found 
some  letters  on  board  of  the  sloop  which  were  ad 
dressed  to  France  under  cover  to  persons  in  England. 
That  the  contents  of  the  letters  were  to  the  effect  that 
the  French  would  find  the  condition  of  things  in  New 
York  in  great  disorder  if  they  chose  to  avail  them 
selves  of  it.  That  upon  questioning  the  said  mate  as 
to  his  knowledge  of  the  writers  of  said  letters,  he  said 
there  were  no  names  signed  but  that  the  handwriting 
in  one  letter  resembled  that  of  Captain  Benjamin 

\45\ 


Philip  Freneau 


Faneuil.  The  mate  being  sworn,  made  in  effect  the 
same  statement.  Whereupon  the  governor  issued  the 
following  proclamation :  — 

AT    A    COUNCIL    HELD    AT    FORT    ANNE    IN    NEW    YORK 

the  4th  day  of  March  1707-8. 

Present  His  Excellency  Edward  Viscount  Cornbury 
Rip  Van  Dam         )  F  John  Barberie       )  ,-, 

Thomas  Wenham  \  *  Adolph  Phillipse   j  Esqrs> 

His  Excellency  and  council  having  considered  the  Deposi 
tions  of  Maurice  Newenhuysen  and  John  Van  Brugh  con 
cerning  a  Letter  writ  from  hence  to  France,  and  taken  in  the 
sloop  Constant  Abigal,  giving  some  account  (as  is  said)  of  the 
condition  of  this  place,  do  declare  unanimously,  That  they  do 
not  think  that  there  is  any  ground  to  suspect  Capt.  Faneuil  of 
holding  correspondence  with  France  nor  to  prosecute  him  here 
on  the  aforesaid  Depositions 

By  Order  of  His  Excellency  in  Council 

GEO.  CLARKE. 

Another  petition  was  laid  before  the  governor,  re 
questing  that  his  secretary  should  provide  the  Hugue 
not  congregation  with  a  copy  of  the  "  minits  and 
Entries  "  relative  to  the  search  and  inquiry,  along  with 
the  opinion  of  the  governor  and  his  council,  and  also 
a  license  for  the  printer  to  imprint  the  same ;  that 
their  reputation  might  thereby  be  vindicated,  which 
was  granted. 

The  signers  of  the  two  petitions  were  Stephen 
D'Lancey,  Elias  Nezereau,  Abraham  Jouneau, 
Thomas  Bayeux,  Elias  Neau,  Paul  Droilet,  Auguste 
Jay,  Jean  Cayale,  Benjamin  Faneuil,  David  Cromelin, 
Jean  Auboyneau,  Francis  Vincent,  and  Alexandre 
Allaire.1 

Although  many  other  names  of  the  refugees  are  of 
sufficient  interest  to  insert  here,  we  have  only  selected 
from  them  such  names  as  belonged  to  relatives  of  the 
family  of  Freneau. 

1  Doc.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  vol.  iii. 

[46} 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

The  Huguenots,  having  sold  their  diminutive  church 
in  the  year  1703,  were  authorized  by  an  Act  of  the 
Legislature  to  purchase  a  building  lot,  and  the  site 
selected  was  that  on  the  northeast  corner  of  King1 
and  Nassau  streets.  In  the  following  year  they  erected 
a  stone  edifice  with  a  tower  in  the  rear.  Sir  Henry 
Asshurst  presented  a  bell  to  be  hung  in  it.2  Over 
the  portal  of  the  church  was  a  tablet  bearing  the  in 
scription  :  "1'Eglise  du  St.  Esprit  Gall :  Prot :  Reform : 
fundat  1704:  Peritus  Reparat  1741." 

This  old  church,  for  the  first  hundred  years  of  its 
existence,  was  the  place  of  worship  for  the  Huguenot 
families  of  New  York  and  environs.  Those  who  had 
settled  in  New  Rochelle  also  worshipped  in  it,  al 
though  this  act  of  piety  obliged  them  to  leave  their 
homes  before  light,  in  order  to  reach  it  before  services 
commenced. 

Tradition  points  to  an  old  building  one  and  a  half 
stories  high,  which  stands  near  the  Kingsbridge  about 
a  mile  to  the  northward  of  Crosskeys  tavern,  or  the 
place  where  it  once  stood,  which  bore  for  its  sign  a 
blue  bell,  from  which  it  took  its  name.  This  it  de 
clares  was  the  veritable  place  of  rest  where  these  men, 
of  sterner  stuff  than  now,  were  wont  to  halt  over  night 
on  their  weekly  journeys  from  New  Rochelle  to  New 
York  for  the  sabbath  services. 

In  the  year  1724  some  defection  on  the  part  of 
the  minister  gave  great  displeasure  to  the  consistory 
and  a  part  of  the  congregation,  who  consequently  gave 
him  his  dismissal.  He  and  the  remaining  portion  of 
the  congregation  resisted ;  and  the  matter  was  laid 
before  the  governor,  who  decided  in  favor  of  the 
minister,  and  he  was  retained.  This  proved  to  be 
very  prejudicial  to  the  interests  of  the  church,  as  most 
of  the  congregation  left  it  for  either  the  established 

1  Pine  St. 

2  This  old  bell  is  now  in  New  Rochelle. 

[47} 


Philip  Freneau 


church  or  that  of  the  Dutch.  It  was  consequently 
neglected  and  became  sadly  in  need  of  repair. 

In  1812,  Bishop  Hobart,  of  Trinity  Church,  offered 
to  have  the  Huguenot  church  thoroughly  repaired  and 
set  upon  a  firm  footing,  if  the  minister  and  congrega 
tion  would  enter  the  Episcopal  communion  and  use 
its  liturgy.  The  parties  agreed  to  this  proposal  and 
the  edifice  was  repaired,  and  a  fair  congregation  seated. 

The  old  church  was  totally  destroyed  in  the  great 
fire  of  1776,  but  had  been  rebuilt.  It  has  since, 
changing  its  liturgy,  removed  to  West  Twenty-second 
Street,  New  York  City. 


Chapter  Fourth 


ALMOST  two  centuries  have  rolled  on  their 
course  since  Andre  Freneau,  the  founder  of 
the  family  in  America  bade  farewell  to  the 
quaint  old  city  of  La  Rochelle  in  France  to  face  the 
shores  which  were  thenceforward  to  be  his  home. 

The  pitiless  hands  of  time  and  fire  have  obliterated 
nearly  every  trace  of  his  existence.  The  family  rec 
ords,  along  with  much  that  was  valuable  in  the  way 
of  letters  and  manuscripts,  perished  in  the  flames 
that  consumed  the  family  residence  of  Philip  Freneau 
at  Mount  Pleasant  (now  Freneau)  in  Monmouth 
County,  New  Jersey,  in  the  year  1818. 

One  old  relic,  piously  rescued  from  the  relentless 
flames,  remains,  and  mutely  seems  to  say,  "  I  alone 
have  escaped  to  tell  you."  This  heirloom  in  the 
form  of  a  Bible,  published  in  Geneva  in  the  year  1587, 
has  been  in  the  Freneau  family,  perhaps  before,  but 
certainly  ever  since  the  year  1590.  The  first  record 
on  its  time-worn  pages  tells  us  that  it  was  in  that  year 
it  began  its  journey  from  father  to  son,  as  was  the 
custom  in  the  Huguenot  families  in  France. 

It  alone  remains  to  tell  us  of  the  hands  it  has  passed 
through,  until  the  present  time,  when,  for  want  of 
male  heirs,  it  has  come  into  the  possession  of  a 
great-granddaughter  of  Philip  Freneau,  the  Poet  of 
the  Revolution. 

Its  record  runneth  thus  :  — 

Ce  livre  fut  donne  par  Philip  P.  Fresneau  a  son  unique  fila 
Jacque.  Janvier  3d  1590. 

De  Jacque  Fresneau  a  son  second  fils  Jacque  Fresneau 
Janvier  ieme  1605* 

[  49  ] 


Philip  Freneau 


De  Jacque  Fresneau  a  son  second  fils  Thomas  Fresneau 
Janvier  ire  1630. 

De  Thomas  Fresneau  a  son  frere  Jean.     Janvier  1653 

De  Jean  Fresneau  a  son  fils  Andre  Fresneau  mon  second 
Janvier  ire  1680 

De  And.  Fresneau  a  son  second  fils  Andre  Fresneau 
Jan.  ire  1702 

De  Andre  Fresneau  a  son  second  fils  Pierre  Fresneau 
Jan.  ire  1725 

De  Pierre  Fresneau  a  son  premiere  fils  Philip  Fresneau 
Jan.  2d  1752(0  S) 

Philip  Morin  Freneau  recoit  ce  livre  de  son  pere  Pierre 
Freneau. 

Philip  Morin  Freneau  departed  this  life  Dec.  i8th  1830. 
aged  80  yrs.  n  mo.  &  13  days. 

It  is  a  remarkable  coincidence  that  its  first  and  last 
possessors  of  the  name  of  Freneau  should  have  borne 
the  name  of  Philip,  and  that  of  its  nine  owners  they 
should  be  the  only  ones  that  bore  that  Christian  name. 

This  Bible,  being  a  Protestant  version,  was  expatri 
ated  along  with  its  owners. 

The  family  of  de  Fresneau  belonged  to  La  Ro- 
chelle,  once  famous  in  the  history  of  the  Huguenots 
—  now  so  changed  in  their  regard.  This  name,  we 
are  told,  was  of  some  note  amongst  the  Rochellais, 
but  how  it  happened  that  its  members  escaped  the  fate 
of  so  many  of  their  compatriots,  we  are  not  told ;  the 
flames  have  guarded  their  secrets  well. 

That  the  family  residence  of  Andre  the  refugee  was 
named  "  Mont  Plaisant"  is  the  only  fact  of  transatlan 
tic  days  that  has  been  transmitted  to  his  descendants. 

It  must  have  been  a  dreary  place,  that  La  Rochelle, 
and  like  a  city  of  the  dead  to  those  remaining  there  like 
the  grapes  left  from  the  vintage !  How  all  things  around 
them  must  perforce  have  brought  up  sad  memories  of 
those  who  had  once  lived  and  loved  amongst  them, 
but  were  now  wanderers  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

[so] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

There  was  la  Lanterne,1  in  which  Gabriel  Bernon 
and  so  many  others  had  been  imprisoned ;  and  not  far 
from  it  stood  the  former  dwelling  of  Pierre  Jay.  The 
residence  of  Ester  Le  Roy  still  faced  the  king's  palace, 
but  the  voice  of  Ester  was  no  longer  heard  within  its 
walls.  Of  the  Bernons,  one  alone  was  left  in  the  old 
mansion,  so  veiled  in  mystery,  and  in  which  the  remain 
ing  Huguenots  met  for  their  secret  services.  The  dwell 
ings  of  the  Allaires  and  Du  Fonts,  even  if  not  entirely 
without  occupants,  yet  lacked  some  of  the  former 
members  of  their  families,  who  were  now  numbered 
amongst  the  aliens  of  the  land  of  their  birth. 

There  were  yet  to  be  seen  the  old  Scriptural  inscrip 
tions,  or  verses  from  Marot,  over  the  small,  plain 
doorways  that  gave  to  the  street,  but  opened  inwardly 
into  residences  in  which  evidences  of  wealth,  refine 
ment,  and  elegance  met  the  eye. 

The  narrow,  crooked  streets,  where  formerly  the 
tokens  of  recognition  were  so  frequently  interchanged, 
were  peopled  with  strange  faces.  No  wonder,  then, 
that  hearts  should  sicken  and  desires  awaken  to  leave 
these  sadly  suggestive  spots,  —  and  that  Andre  Fre- 
neau  should  bid  good-bye  to  his  native  land. 

We  may  imagine  the  sentiments  he  experienced  as 
the  sombre  towers  of  la  Lanterne  and  Saint  Nicolas 
faded  from  his  view,  and  the  receding  shores  of  the 
isles  of  Re  and  Oleron  told  him  that  he  was  hence 
forth  a  stranger  to  the  land  of  his  fathers. 

We  would  infer^from  his  age  at  the  date  of  his 
death  that  at  the  time  of  the  revocation  of  the  Edict 
of  Nantes,  in  1685,  ne  was  but  ten  years  of  age,  and 
from  the  fact  of  the  ancient  Bible  having  been  pre 
sented  to  him  in  the  year  1702  it  would  seem  like  a 
parting  gift  from  his  father. 

1  La  Lanterne  was  built  for  a  lighthouse,  but  was  used  as  a  prison  during 
the  persecution  of  the  Huguenots. 


Philip  Freneau 


It  is  most  probable  that  he  first  went  to  England, 
and  from  there  directed  his  course  to  the  port  of  Bos 
ton,  but  we  do  not  hear  of  him  in  the  new  world  until 
the  year  1705. 

In  this  year  rumors  of  copper  being  discovered  in 
the  township  of  Suffolk,  Connecticut,  caused  the  pro 
prietors  in  that  locality  to  appoint  a  commission  to  in 
stitute  a  search,  which  proved  successful.  The  news 
travelled  to  Boston  and  caused  some  capitalists  there 
to  interest  themselves  in  excavating. 

The  land  had  been  the  hunting  ground  of  Indians, 
and  being  unclaimed  property  th^  proprietors  of  the 
town  of  Simsbury  assumed  its  control,  and  leased  the 
ground  to  some  private  individuals  as  well  as  com 
panies.  Andre  Freneau  proceeded  thither  and,  leasing 
a  mine,  began  to  excavate. 

According  to  the  laws  regulating  the  colony,  smelt 
ing  of  ore  was  prohibited ;  therefore,  loading  a  vessel, 
Freneau  shipped  it  to  London.  The  ship  was  cap 
tured  by  a  French  cruiser,  and  his  enterprise  resulted 
in  total  loss.  So  great  were  the  disadvantages  attend 
ing  mining  at  that  time,  it  is  not  surprising  that  Fre 
neau,  in  the  year  1707,  relinquishing  all  hopes  of  realiz 
ing  any  profit  from  his  enterprise,  left  the  mining 
district  and  turned  his  thoughts  to  the  city  of  New 
York,  where  Benjamin  Faneuil  had  already  commenced 
commercial  business.1  It  is  not  certain  whether  Louis 
Allaire  preceded  or  followed  him  to  that  city. 

Upon  arriving  in  New  York  Andre  engaged  in  the 
shipping  business,  and  also  acted  in  the  interests  of  the 
"  Royal  West  India  Company  of  France,"  in  which  he 
was  associated  with  Etienne  Delancey,  Auguste  Jay, 
Benjamin  Faneuil,  Rene  Het,  and  others. 

1  This  mine  was  afterwards  converted  into  a  prison  called  Newgate,  and 
was  the  first  state  prison  in  Connecticut.  The  excavations  served  for  the 
safe  keeping  of  the  convicts.  The  prison  was  afterwards  removed  to  Weth- 
ersfield,  and  the  mine  is  now  used  as  a  show  place.  It  retains  the  name  of 
Copper  Hill. 


Poet  of  the  Revolution 

On  the  seventeenth  of  June  in  the  year  1710,  Andre 
married  Marie,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Pierre  Morin,  or 
Morine,  whose  name  appears  as  the  head  of  a  family  in 
the  records  of  the  Church  of  St.  Esprit.  He  was  the 
maternal  grandfather  of  John  Morin  Scott,  the  promi 
nent  Whig  lawyer,  of  whom  we  will  speak  hereafter. 

After  his  marriage,  Andre  and  his  young  wife,  who 
had  just  entered  her  seventeenth  year,  resided  on 
lower  Broadway  facing  Bowling  Green,  which  was  at 
that  time  the  aristocratic  part  of  the  city,  and  it  is  said 
he  entertained  in  considerable  style.  His  name  ap 
pears  in  the  records  of  the  French  Church  as  the  head 
of  a  family,  and  an  ancien  of  the  church. 

It  had  always  been  the  custom  in  the  temple,  or 
principal  religious  edifice,  of  the  Huguenots,  for  the 
anciens,  or  elders,  to  have,  along  with  the  consistoire, 
prominent  seats  reserved  for  them  during  the  services. 
In  the  mother  country,  the  consistory  was  composed 
only  of  the  pastors  of  the  churches  in  a  certain  district, 
and  one  ancien  chosen  from  each  congregation,  to  rep 
resent  it  in  the  assembly.  As  such  members  were 
charged  with  the  oversight  of  the  flock  and  its  tempo 
ralities,  as  well  as  their  spiritual  interests,  the  office  was 
one  of  considerable  responsibility,  as  well  as  honor. 
In  New  York,  there  being  but  one  congregation,  the 
elders  formed  the  consistory.  They  were  elected  every 
three  years. 

In  the  year  1713,  a  robbery  having  been  committed 
in  Trinity  Church,  of  which  the  Rev.  Mr.  Vesey  was 
rector,  the  minister  and  consistory  of  the  Church  of  St. 
Esprit,  fearing  a  like  sacrilege,  presented  a  petition  to 
the  governor  that  the  perpetrators  should  be  appre 
hended  and  brought  to  justice. 

The  petition  being  of  no  great  leiigth,  and  its 
quaintness  amusing,  we  will  insert  it.  We  have  failed 
to  find  any  method  amongst  the  colonial  writers  gen 
erally,  whether  English,  French,  or  Dutch,  for  the  use 


Philip  Freneau 


of  capitals,  consequently  we  are  almost  led  to  think 
that  such  letters  were  thrown  promiscuously  amongst 
the  type,  finding,  wherever  they  chanced  to  lodge,  "  a 
local  habitation  and  a  name/'  However,  as  we  never 
remember  to  have  found  them  in  the  middle  of  a 
word,  there  may  have  been  some  rule  to  govern  such 
a  contingency. 

It  would  not  be  surprising  if  this  promiscuous  and 
generous  use  of  big  letters  first  caused  Lindley,  the  son 
of  Robert  Murray,  proprietor  of  the  "  leathern  con- 
veniency  "  of  colonial  days,  to  project  his  grammar. 

Address  of  the  Minister  and  Elders  of   the   French    Church  in 

New  York. 

To  THE  HONNBLE  HER  MAJESTIES  COUNCELL  FOR  THE  PROVINCE  OF 
NEW  YORK. 

Wee  the  Ministers  &  Elders  of  the  Reformed  Protestant 
french  Church  within  the  citty  of  new  york  cannot  sufficiently 
express  our  abhorrance  of  that  Wicked,  and  Sacrileges  Fact, 
committed  the  Night  Between  Tuesday  and  Wednesday  Last, 
by  some  Impious  Persons  in  Trinity  Church  within  this  Citty  : 
Being  a  structure  built  and  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God,  the 
discovery  and  Punishment  of  wich  hainous  crime,  wee  estime 
ourselves,  so  deeply  concerned  in,  to  the  end  it  may  deterr 
others  from  attempting  the  Like  on  that,  our,  or  any  other 
Building  sett  apart  for  divine  worshipp  within  this  citty  ;  That 
wee  humbly  take  Leave  to  offer  to  your  honnours,  That  iff  his 
Excellency,  or  your  honnble  board,  shall  think  fitt  to  Issue  a 
proclamation  with  a  Reward  to  the  Person  that  shall  make  a 
discovery  of  the  said  wicked  offense  ;  we  shall  Cheerfully 
contribute  the  sume  of  tenn  Pound  towards  an  Incouragement 
for  the  Person  that  shall  make  such  a  discovery,  and  in  duty 
bound  wee  shall  pray,  &c. 

LEWIS  Rou.\.  Minister 

of  the  French  Church  in  N.  York 
JOHN  BARBARIE  Elder 
Louis  CARRE  ancien 

New  York  i6th  JEAN  LAPORT  ancien 

February  I7^f  ANDRE  FRESNEAU  ancien 


[54} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

The  date  of  Andre's  marriage  is  not  recorded  in  the 
register  of  the  French  church,  which  is  explained  by 
the  fact  of  the  frequent  interruptions  in  its  services. 
Marriages  and  baptisms  were  frequently  performed  for 
the  Huguenots  in  Trinity  or  in  the  Dutch  church. 
Andre's  marriage  does  appear  in  the  register  of  the 
Dutch  church,  but  the  baptisms  of  all  his  children  are 
registered  in  the  French  church,  and  in  the  following 
order : — 

Bapteme.  Auiourdhui  dimanche  29*  de  Juillet  1711  monsr 
Louis  Rou  notre  pasteur  a  Baptise  Andre  Fresneau  ne  le 
24e  de  ce  mois  a  3  heures  du  matin  fils  de  Andre  Fresneau 
et  de  Marie  Morin  presente  au  S1  Bapteme  aprest  la  priere 
du  soir  par  la  Sr  Morin  et  Judith  Jamain  Parein  et  mareinne. 

L.  Rou  Pasteur 

AND6  FRESNEAU 
PIERRE  MORIN 
JUDITH  JAMAIN 

Bapteme.  Aiourdhuy  dimanche  8e  fevrier  I7yf  aprest  la 
priere  du  soir  monsieur  Louis  Rou  a  Baptise  Marie  Fresneau 
nee  le  4™  de  ce  mois  fille  d'Andre  Fresneau  et  de  Marie  sa 
femme  presentee  au  S4  Bapteme  par  le  dit  Andre  Fresneau  et 
Marie  Morin  Parein  et  marienne. 

L.  Rou  min. 

AND6  FRESNEAU 
MARIE  MORIN 

Baptesme.  A  la  nouvelle  york  de  9me  d'octobre  1715  au- 
iourdhuy  dimanche  aprest  la  priere  du  soir  monsr  Louis  Rou  a 
Baptise  Marguerite  Fresneau  nee  de  8e  de  ce  mois  fille  de 
Andre  Fresneau  et  de  Marie  son  Epouse  presente  au  S'  Bap 
teme  par  Alexandre  Allaire  et  Marguerite  Morin  parain  et 
mareine. 

AND6  FRESNEAU 

L.  Rou  mmlstre  ALEXANDER  ALLAIRE 

MARGUERITE  MORIN 

Bapteme  Le  samedy  nme  Janvier  17 1 J.  avant  mydy  Est  ne 
Pierre  Fresneau  fils  d'Andre  Fresneau  et  de  Marie  Morin  bap- 

[55] 


Philip  Freneau 


tise  par  Mons.  Louis  Rou  en  sa  maison  la  dimanche  19*  du 
meme  mois  presente  aii  S4  Bapteme  par  Monsr  Rene  Het  et 
Mad.  Ester  Charron  Parain  et  maraine. 

ANDRE  FRESNEAU 
L.  Rou  Pasteur  RENE  HET 

ESTER  CHARRON 

Bapteme.  A  la  nouvelle  york  ce  nme  de  Mars  171 1  Au- 
iordhui  mercredy  aprest  la  priere  du  matin  Mons.  .Louis  Rou 
a  Baptise  Thomas  Louis  Fresneau  ne  le  5me  de  ce  mois  fils  de 
Monsr  Andre  et  Marie  Fresneau  presente  au  S*  Bapteme  par 
Monsr  Thomas  Bayeux  et  Madle  Ester  Morin  Parrain  et  mar- 
raine. 

ANDRE  FRESNEAU 

L.  Rou  ministre  THOMAS   BAYEUX 

ESTER  MORIN 

Bapteme,  a  la  Nouvelle  york  ce  24*  de  Juillet  1720  Auiour- 
dhuy  dimanche  aprest  Faction  du  soir  Monsr  Moulinars  a  Bap 
tise  Francois  Fresneau  ne  le  2d  de  ce  mois  fils  de  monsieur 
Andre  Fresneau  et  de  Marie  son  Epouse  presente  au  S1  Bap 
teme  par  monsieur  Louis  Allaire  et  Made  Judy  Morin  parain 
et  marrainne. 

ANDRE  FRESNEAU 

J.  J.  MOULINARS  Pasteur         Louis  ALLAIRE 

JUDITH  MORIN 

We  find  the  name  of  Andre  Fresneau  mentioned  in 
the  Journal  of  John  Fontaine,  a  kinsman  of  the  cele 
brated  Commodore  Maury.  As  this  Journal  depicts 
the  condition  of  New  York  City,  as  well  as  its  society, 
at  the  time  of  Mr.  Fresneau's  residence  there,  we  will 
copy  that  particular  portion  of  it.  A  few  words  as  to 
its  author  may  not  be  out  of  place  as  an  introduction. 

The  family  of  John  Fontaine,  or  de  La  Fontaine, 
were  Huguenot  refugees  who  left  their  native  land  at 
the  time  of  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  tak 
ing  up  their  residence  in  England.  At  the  age  of  sev 
enteen,  and  in  the  year  1710,  John  de  La  Fontaine 
received  the  appointment  of  ensign  in  Lord  Shaw's 


CHURCH   DU  ST.  ESPRIT 
Rear  View,  1776 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

regiment  of  infantry.  After  serving  three  years  in 
the  British  army,  he  retired  from  the  service  and  in 
the  following  year  emigrated  to  America,  settling 
in  the  State  of  Virginia. 

In  1716  Fontaine  visited  New  York  in  company 
with  Mr.  Michael  Kearney,  a  member  of  the  family 
of  Kearneys  of  New  Jersey,  combining  business  pur 
poses  with  those  of  pleasure,  as  he  was  desirous  of 
seeing  something  of  the  country  of  his  adoption. 

The  Journal  commences  with  his  departure  from  the 
English  coast,  but  we  give  only  that  portion  which 
relates  to  the  family  whose  history  we  are  giving. 

October  22d,  1716.  In  the  sloop  at  anchor  under 
Sandy  Hook.  The  weather  was  so  foggy  all  day  that 
we  could  not  see  the  shore,  nor  landmarks,  so  we  could 
not  hoist  our  anchor,  for  this  is  a  very  dangerous  bay 
to  come  up  without  one  has  fair  weather  to  see  the 
landmarks.  There  are  several  banks  and  shoals  of 
sand  which  are  very  dangerous.  There  is  a  great  deal 
of  water  fowl  of  all  sorts  on  these  shoals. 

24th.  Calm  weather,  but  such  a  fog  that  we  could 
not  see  half  a  mile.  We  had  a  mind  to  go  ashore,  but 
the  master  and  sailors  were  afraid  that  they  could  not 
find  the  sloop  again  with  the  boat,  so  we  consented  to 
remain  on  board.  The  fog  is  occasioned  by  the  burn 
ing  the  woods,  for  at  this  season  the  inhabitants  set  the 
woods  on  fire,  and  the  Indians  also  about  this  time  of 
the  year  go  a  fire  hunting. 

25th.  Still  at  anchor,  weather  very  foggy,  so  that 
the  master  will  not  venture  up  with  his  sloop.  About 
twelve  it  cleared  so  that  we  could  see  the  land,  and  we 
got  out  the  boat,  and  the  men  landed  us  in  Staten 
Island.  We  were  obliged  to  walk  about  four  miles, 
not  being  able  to  hire  any  horses.  This  island  is 
mostly  highland  and  rocky,  and  that  part  of  the  land 
which  is  good  is  mixed  with  small  stones.  There  are 
some  good  improvements  here  ;  the  inhabitants  are 

[57] 


Philip  Freneau 


mostly  Dutch  ;  the  houses  are  all  built  with  stone  and 
lime;  there  are  some  hedges  as  in  England.  The 
chief  increase  is  wheat  and  cattle.  They  breed  large 
horses  here.  About  five  of  the  clock  we  came  to  the 
ferry  between  Long  Island  and  Staten  Island,  which  is 
about  one  mile  broad.  The  main  body  of  New  York 
River  runs  between  these  islands.  We  crossed  the 
ferry  and  came  upon  Long  Island  to  a  small  sort  of 
village,  where,  it  being  late,  we  put  up  at  the  house  of 
a  Dutchman,  one  Harris  Hendrick.  We  were  well 
lodged  and  had  a  good  supper. 

26th.  About  eight  of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  we 
hired  two  horses  to  go  to  New  York.  It  is  about 
eight  miles  from  this  ferry  by  land,  but  not  near  so 
much  by  water.  Long  Island  is  generally  very  plain 
ground,  bears  extraordinary  good  grass,  and  is  an  ex 
cellent  place  for  cattle.  It  produceth  wheat  and  all 
English  grain  in  abundance.  The  chief  part  of  the 
inhabitants  are  Dutch,  but  there  are  some  few  French. 
Amongst  them  are  several  good  improvements,  and 
many  fine  villages ;  the  woods  are  mostly  destroyed. 
Besides  the  plentiful  produce  of  the  Island,  there  is 
every  advantage  for  fishing  and  fowling  that  can  be 
wished.  About  seven  o'clock  we  came  to  a  fine  vil 
lage1  opposite  New  York,  and  we  crossed  the  ferry. 
The  river  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  over,  and  runs 
very  rapidly ;  there  are  good,  convenient  landings  on 
both  sides.  As  soon  as  we  landed  we  went  and  agreed 
for  our  lodgings  with  a  Dutch  woman  named  Schuyler, 
and  then  I  went  to  see  Mr.  Andre  Fresneau  at  his 
house,  and  he  received  me  very  well. 

27th.  About  nine  I  breakfasted  at  the  Coffee 
House,  and  at  eleven  I  waited  upon  Governor  Hunter, 
who  received  me  very  kindly  and  invited  me  to  dine 
with  him.  After  dinner  I  walked  with  him  about  the 

1  Brooklyn. 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

fort,  wherein  he  Jives.  It  is  a  small  square  situated 
upon  a  height  above  the  town,  and  commanding  it. 
The  one  side  of  it  fronts  the  harbor,  and  hath  a 
small  curtain  and  two  bastions  ;  the  land  side  hath  but 
t^o  half  bastions  to  it,  so  that  it  is  a  square  composed 
of  two  whole  and  two  half  bastions.  There  is  a  rave 
lin  toward  the  land  that  lies  on  one  side  of  the  gate. 
It  is  but  a  weak  place,  and  badly  contrived.  There  is 
a  regiment  here,  and  the  Governor  always  hath  a 
guard,  and  this  is  all  the  duty  they  have,  which  is  very 
little.  From  the  Governor  I  went  to  see  the  Mayor 
of  the  town,  one  Dr.  Johnson,  and  was  kindly  re 
ceived  by  him ;  thence  to  Col.  Delarty's. 

28th.  About  eight  of  the  clock  in  the  morning 
Mr.  Kearny  and  I  hired  horses  and  went  about  seven 
miles  out  of  town  to  see  one  Colonel  Morriss,1  who 
lives  in  the  country,  and  is  Judge  or  Chief  Justice  of 
this  province,  —  a  very  sensible  and  good  man.  We 
were  received  well  by  him  and  remained  with  him  all 
night ;  and  we  saw  a  great  many  fine  improvements 
that  he  had  made,  and  he  showed  us  several  rare  col 
lections  of  his  own  making.  He  lives  upon  the  river 
that  comes  down  to  New  York. 

29th.  We  were  invited  to  dine  with  Mr.  Hamilton 
and  Mr.  Lane.  After  dinner  I  visited  Mr.  Fresneau 
and  had  a  great  deal  of  discourse  with  him  about 
the  trade  of  Virginia.  From  thence  I  walked  round  the 
town.  There  are  three  churches,  the  English,  the 
French,  and  the  Dutch  Church ;  there  is  also  a  place 
for  the  Assembly  to  sit,  which  is  not  very  fine,  and 
where  they  judge  all  matters.  The  town  is  compact, 

1  Judge  Lewis  Morris,  son  of  Richard  Morris,  a  former  captain  in  the 
Parliamentary  army,  who  settled  in  Westchester  County,  where  his  son 
Lewis  was  born  and  resided  in  later  life.  In  1715  Lewis  received  a  com 
mission  as  Chief  Justice  for  the  Province  of  New  York,  which  position  he 
held  until  displaced  for  political  causes  by  Governor  Cosby.  In  the  ex 
citing  public  affairs  of  the  period,  Judge  Morris  was  the  leading  man  in 
the  liberal  party.  He  was  subsequently  Governor  of  New  Jersey. 

[S9] 


Philip  Freneau 


the  houses  for  the  most  part  built  after  the  Dutch 
manner,  with  the  gable  ends  towards  the  street ;  the 
streets  are  of  good  breadth.  The  town  is  built  close 
upon  the  river,  and  there  is  a  fine  quay  that  reigns  all 
round  the  town,  built  with  stone  and  piles  of  wood 
outside.  There  are  small  docks  for  cleaning  and 
building  small  ships.  At  high  water  the  vessels  come 
up  to  the  quay  to  lade  and  unlade.  In  winter  the 
river  is  frozen,  sometimes  all  over,  and  abundance  of 
ice  comes  down,  that  it  often  cuts  the  cables  of  ships, 
but  it  cannot  hurt  those  near  the  quay.  The  town  is 
built  on  ground  that  gradually  rises  from  the  water,  so 
it  is  amphitheatre  like.  The  French  have  all  the  privi 
leges  that  can  be,  and  are  the  most  in  number  here ; 
they  are  of  the  Council  and  of  the  Parliament,  and  are 
in  all  other  employments.  The  chief  produce  of  this 
province  is  beef,  flour,  pork,  butter,  and  cheese,  which 
they  send  to  the  West  Indies,  and  sometimes  to  Lisbon. 
They  drive  a  great  trade  with  the  northern  Indians 
for  skins  and  furs.  There  is  plenty  of  all  sorts  of  fish, 
oysters,  and  water-fowl.  The  climate  is  very  cold  in 
winter,  a  great  deal  of  snow  and  frost  for  four  months, 
and  very  hot  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer. 

3 1 st.  At  ten  went  to  the  Coffee  house  and  walked 
upon  the  Exchange,  which  hath  pillars  of  wood  all 
round,  which  support  the  roof  and  leave  it  open  on 
all  sides.  I  dined  with  Mr.  Andre  Fresneau  and 
remained  with  him  till  four  of  the  clock,  and  at  six  to 
the  French  Club,  where  they  treated  me. 

4th  Nov.  1716.  At  ten  I  went  to  Mr.  Fresneau, 
and  with  him  to  church.  I  returned  to  his  house 
and  dined  with  him,  and  at  half  an  hour  after  two 
we  went  to  church  again.  The  church  is  very  large 
and  beautiful,  and  within  it  there  was  a  very  great 
congregation. 

5th.  At  ten  in  the  morning  I  carried  Mr.  Fres 
neau  a  memorandum  of  the  prices  of  goods. 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

6th.  Visited  Mr.  Fresneau.  The  Postmaster  Gene 
ral,  Mr.  Hamilton,  invited  me  to  dinner. 

7th.  At  ten  waited  on  Governor  Hunter  and  drank 
tea  with  him.  At  four  I  went  to  the  coffee  house, 
where  I  met  with  Mr.  Fresneau  and  at  six  we  went 
to  the  French  Club. 

1 4th.  At  six  we  arrived  at  Philadelphia,  a  town 
which  is  situated  upon  rising  ground  on  Delaware 
River.  The  inhabitants  are  mostly  Quakers.  I 
visited  Mr.  Samuel  Perez  and  gave  him  Mr.  Fres- 
neau's  letter,  etc. 

1 9th.  At  eight  of  the  clock  set  out  from  Mr. 
Patterson's,  which  is  about  sixty  miles  from  Phila 
delphia,  and  at  twelve  arrived  at  the  Court  House 
of  the  county  of  Kent,  where  we  baited  our  horses. 
About  three  Mr.  Kearny  and  I  went  to  his  brother's 
house  in  the  neighborhood,  where  we  put  up  and 
remained  all  night. 

2oth.  It  being  rainy  we  remained  where  we  were, 
and  had  good  entertainment.  This  gentleman,  Mr. 
Kearny  hath  a  plantation  and  an  extraordinary  good 
tannery. 

It  is  not  certain  in  what  year  the  Freneau 
family  left  the  French  congregation.  The  last  of 
their  baptisms  was  registered  in  its  records  in  the 
year  1720  ;  consequently  it  was  not  before  that  date. 
There  is  no  record  of  Mrs.  Freneau's  death,  which 
occurred  in  the  year  1721  ;  but  this  is  not  a  conclu 
sive  proof  that  they  severed  their  connection  with 
it  before  that  date,  as,  in  looking  over  the  register, 
we  find  only  one  interment  recorded  during  the  entire 
forty  years  of  Mr.  Rou's  pastorate,  except  the  burials 
of  his  own  five  children ;  these  are  most  carefully 
noted. 

Andre's  death  occurred  in  the  year  1725.  As  he 
was  buried  in  the  family  vault  of  Trinity  churchyard, 

[6f] 


Philip  Freneau 


it  is  probable  that  he  joined  that  congregation  during 
his  lifetime.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  difficulty 
between  the  minister  and  congregation  in  the  year 
1724  was  the  cause  of  his  leaving  the  communion 
of  the  French  Church,  and  joining  that  of  Trinity, 
as  many  prominent  families  joined  the  congregations 
of  the  other  churches  at  that  time. 

It  would  seem  that  "Aunt  Allaire"  took  charge 
of  the  orphaned  family,  as  the  eldest  chitd,  Andre, 
was  only  thirteen  years  of  age  at  the  death  of  his 
father,  and  the  youngest,  Fra^ois,  only  five.  It  also 
appears  that  she  remained  ever  after  with  them,  keep 
ing  house  first  for  Andre,  who  never  married,  and 
after  his  death  living  in  Mount  Pleasant,  New  Jersey, 
in  the  home  of  his  brother  Pierre. 

Upon  reaching  man's  estate  Andre  carried  on  the 
Bordeaux  and  Madeira  trade.  The  only  record  we 
have  of  him  is  that  of  being  witness  to  the  marriage 
of  his  cousin,  Marie  Allaire,  which  took  place  in  the 
house  of  her  parents  in  the  year  1754.  Although  this 
marriage  occurred  in  the  year  mentioned,  it  was  not 
registered  in  the  records  of  the  church  of  Saint  Esprit 
until  the  year  1761.  If  we  mistake  not,  only  one  mar 
riage  was  registered  during  Mr.  Rou's  long  pastorate. 

Mariage.  En  vertu  d'une  Licence  de  M?  James  de 
Lancey  Lieutenant  Gouvernour  dans  la  province  de  la  nou- 
velle  york  et  terres  qui  en  dependant  datee  le  6™e  Septembre 
1754  et  le  28™e  annee  du  Regne  de  notre  legitime  souverain 
george  24.  Roy  de  la  grande  Britagne  etc.  Jay  Beni  ches 
mad!.  Alaire,  le  8™e  de  Septembre  1754  le  mariage  de  Louis 
Pavez  officier  dans  la  Compagnie  de  fort  George  de  cette 
ville  et  Marie  Allaire  les  temoins  etaient  Marguerite  Allaire 
mere  de  1'Epousee,  Jean  Morin  Scott,  et  Andre  Freno  ses 
cousins  germains  et  demoiselle  Marie  Morin  grandmere  de 
Pepousee  ce  que  je  declare  et  enregistre  pour  servir  come  de 
Besoin  sera  a  la  Nouvelle  York  ce  7™e  Juillet  1761. 

JEAN  CARLE  Pasteur. 

[62] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

A  small  pencil  sketch,  with  the  words,  <c  Andrew 
Fresneau's  House  1756.  Cor.  Pearl  and  Wall  streets," 
which  goes  to  prove  that  he  lived  there  in  that 
year,  and  a  statement  that  he  died  in  the  same 
locality,  are  all  the  data  we  possess  in  regard  to  his 
later  life.  The  house  seems  to  have  been  a  large 
and  handsome  one  for  that  time,  but  when  the  family 
removed  there  from  the  vicinity  of  Bowling  Green 
is  not  known  ;  most  probably  it  was  when  the  tide 
of  fashion  began  its  northward  march.  Time  has 
obliterated  the  date  of  his  death  from  the  vault  in 
which  he  was  most  probably  buried. 

The  fate  of  Andre's  two  sisters  is  very  remarkable. 
Marie,  the  eldest,  was  two  years  older  than  Mar 
guerite  ;  and  between  the  dates  of  their  deaths,  which 
we  find  in  an  old  note-book,  there  was  an  interval  of 
precisely  two  years ;  consequently  both  died  at  the 
same  age,  that  of  twenty-two  years,  and  of  the  same 
disease,  that  of  the  heart.  One  died  in  October  of 
the  year  1736,  the  other  in  the  same  month  of  1738. 

A  note  adds  that  they  were  both  beautiful ;  and 
that  each  died  shortly  before  the  time  appointed  for 
her  marriage ;  the  one,  with  a  son  of  her  father's 
business  associate,  Etienne  Delancey ;  the  other,  to  a 
member  of  the  Desbrosses  family. 

Pierre  Freneau  married  Agnes  Watson  in  the  year 
1748.  All  that  we  know  of  this  lady's  early  life 
is  that  she  was  twenty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
her  marriage,  and  that  she  was  related  to  John 
Fanning  Watson,  the  antiquary. 

Thomas  Louis  died  at  the  early  age  of  three 
months,  and  Fra^ois  married  Helen  Provost,  a  rela 
tive  of  the  Right  Reverend  Samuel  Provost.  Some 
writers  have  said  the  lady  was  his  daughter,  but  this 
is  not  very  probable,  as  Fra^ois  was  many  years 
older  than  Bishop  Provost.  She  may  have  been 
his  sister  or  aunt. 

[4?-] 


Philip  Freneau 

Francois  had  no  children. 

In  Bishop  Provost  was  united  French  and  Dutch 
ancestry.  His  father  was  of  Huguenot  descent  and 
his  mother  was  Eve,  daughter  of  Herman  Bleecker. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  seven  graduates  of  King's, 
now  Columbia,  College,  New  York  City.  His  class 
was  that  of  1758.  It  is  said  that,  although  he  was  the 
youngest  of  all  the  graduates  of  that  year,  he  carried 
off  the  honors.  He  afterwards  entered  Cambridge 
College,  England,  having  for  private  tutor  John  Jebb, 
a  scholar  of  great  attainments,  and  one  in  favor  of 
civil,  as  well  as  religious  liberty.  Provost  was  or 
dained  in  King's  College,  Whitehall;  and,  after  his 
ordination,  married  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Bous- 
field,  a  wealthy  Irish  banker.1 

Mr.  Provost  was  appointed  assistant  minister  in 
Trinity  Church,  but  resigned  in  the  year  1774  on  ac 
count  of  his  political  sentiments.  He  was  proposed  as 
a  delegate  to  the  Provincial  Congress,  but  declined  it, 
as  also  the  offer  of  chaplaincy  to  the  Convention  of 
1777,  which  met  to  consider  the  great  Constitution. 

After  the  evacuation  of  the  city  by  the  British,  in 
1784,  he  was  unanimously  elected  rector  of  Trinity 
Church,  and  was  one  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the 
University.  He  was  appointed  chaplain  to  the  Con 
tinental  Congress  in  1785.  He  received  the  title  of 
D.D.  from  the  Pennsylvania  University  in  1786,  and 
in  the  following  year  went  to  England  for  his  consecra 
tion,  which  took  place  in  Lambeth  Palace. 

In  1789  he  was  chaplain  to  the  United  States  Sen 
ate  and  officiated  in  the  services  held  in  St.  Paul's 
Church,  New  York,  at  the  inauguration  of  Washing 
ton  as  first  President  of  the  United  States.  He  was 
also  one  of  the  trustees  of  Columbia  College.  He 

1  Mr.  Bousfield's  son  Benjamin  was  a  member  of  the  Irish  Parliament, 
and  wrote  an  able  reply  to  Edmund  Burke's  celebrated  work  on  the  French 
Revolution. 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

died  of  apoplexy  in  the  year  1815,  and  was  buried  in 
Trinity  churchyard.  As  a  scholar,  Bishop  Provost 
was  versed  in  Greek,  Hebrew,  Latin,  and  German, 
and  conversed  fluently  in  French  and  Italian.  It  has 
been  said  that  he  translated  Tasso  into  the  vernacular. 
His  sermons  were  full  of  character  and  force ;  he  is 
said  to  have  had  no  peer  among  American  contempo 
raries.  He  was  so  indifferent  to  literary  reputation 
that  he  never  permitted  his  sermons  to  be  printed. 

In  his  funeral  eulogy  it  was  said  of  him  that  what 
he  undertook  was  to  be  admired  as  glorious ;  what  he 
performed,  to  be  commended  as  profitable  ;  and  where 
in  he  failed  is  to  be  excused  as  pardonable.1 

Pierre  Freneau  resided  in  Frankfort  Street  after 
his  marriage,  and  there  his  eldest  son,  Philip  Morin 
Freneau,  the  poet,  was  born.  In  the  year  of  Philip's 
birth,  Pierre  bought  an  estate  of  one  thousand  acres 
in  Monmouth  County,  New  Jersey,  upon  which  he 
built  a  residence,  naming  it  Mount  Pleasant,  after  the 
residence  of  his  grandfather  in  La  Rochelle. 

Here  he  removed  when  Philip  was  in  his  second 
year,  and  interested  himself  in  the  care  of  his  increas 
ing  family  and  in  the  improvement  of  the  estate. 
Some  of  the  trees  planted  by  him  are  still  standing. 
Most  of  these  were  locusts,  which  formed  a  grove 
around  the  house.  Here  all  his  children  except  Philip 
were  born,  and  their  names  were  registered  in  his  own 
handwriting,  thus  :  — 

Philip  Morin  Freneau    born  Jan.  2d  O.S.  1752 
Mary  Freneau  "    Sept.  loth        1754 

Peter  Freneau  "    April  5th        1757 

Andrew  Freneau  "    April  3d          J759 

Margaret  Allaire  Freneau  "    Feb.  27th        1761 

Pierre  died  in  the  year  1767,  and  was  buried  in  the 
family  vault  in  Trinity  churchyard,  along  with  his 

1  Appleton. 


Philip  Freneau 


parents  and  brothers  and  sisters.  The  vault  has  never 
since  been  opened  for  an  interment. 

It  is  most  unfortunate  that,  owing,  first,  to  the  Brit 
ish  occupancy  of  New  York  during  the  Revolution ; 
secondly,  to  the  disastrous  fire  of  1776  which  destroyed 
Trinity  Church ;  and  thirdly,  to  the  fact  that  a  family 
burying-ground  was  laid  out  in  Mount  Pleasant, —  the 
vaults  of  the  family  in  the  city  were  forgotten  until  it 
was  too  late  to  decipher  the  inscriptions. 

Would  that  Old  Mortality  had  lived  in  those  days 
or  that  there  had  been  some  other  to  do  his  work  ! 

"Aunt  Allaire"  dying  in  the  year  1779,  a  burying- 
ground  was  selected  in  a  grove  of  locust  trees,  and 
named  from  that  fact  "Locust  Grove  Cemetery;"  and 
she  was  laid  therein.  Her  death  was  not  entered  in 
the  old  Bible  until  some  years  later.  It  is  in  Philip's 
handwriting  and  runs  thus :  — 

"  1779  Aunt  Allaire  was  the  first  buried  in  the 
Locust  Grove,  on  the  south  side  of  my  mother's 
grave." 

Mrs.  Freneau  did  not  long  remain  a  widow.  A  few 
years  after  Pierre's  death  she  married  Major  James 
Kearny,  a  member  of  the  New  Jersey  family  of 
which  General  Philip  Kearny  is  a  descendant. 

It  is  probably  not  universally  known  that  Keyport, 
in  the  northern  part  of  New  Jersey,  was  named  from 
that  family.  It  was  at  first  called  K-port,  then  Kear- 
nyport,  and  finally  it  was  spelled  in  the  way  it  is 
at  present.  It  is  a  singular  coincidence  that  Philip's 
stepfather  should  also  be  the  grandfather  of  his  grand 
daughter's  husband. 

Major  Kearny  died  a  few  years  after  his  marriage, 
and  left  Philip's  mother  again  a  widow.  She  did  not 
marry  again.  Her  death  is  thus  registered  in  the  old 
Bible:  "Died  on  the  i8th  of  October,  1817,  Agnes 
Kearny  in  her  ninety-first  year,  born  of  Richard  and 
Margaret  Watson  in  the  year  1727  April  the  twenty- 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

third.  She  survived  her  first  husband,  Pierre  Fre 
neau,  fifty  years  and  one  day  ;  her  second,  James 
Kearny,  nearly  forty-five  years.  She  was  interred  in 
Locust  Grove,  the  family  burying-ground,  on  the 
twentieth  of  October.  Her  funeral  sermon  preached 
by  Mr.  Dubois  from  the  words  in  Rev.  chapt.  I4th, 
verse  13." 

Of  Philip  and  Peter,  we  will  speak  later  on.  Mary, 
the  eldest  daughter,  was  said  by  her  brother  Philip  to 
be  "  as  pure  as  an  angel."  She  was  said  to  be  beauti 
ful  and  accomplished,  for  those  days.  James  Madi 
son,  afterwards  president  of  the  United  States,  and  in 
early  days  a  college,  class,  and  room  mate,  as  well  as 
confidential  friend,  of  her  brother  Philip  in  Nassau 
Hall,  Princeton,  told  the  latter,  confidentially,  that  he 
admired  her  more  than  any  woman  he  had  ever  seen ; 
and,  during  his  vacation  visits  to  Mount  Pleasant, 
formed  an  acquaintanceship  that  ripened  into  something 
more  on  his  part.  He  made  proposals  of  marriage  to 
her,  but,  although  she  admired  and  respected  him,  she 
preferred  to  lead  a  single  life,  and  could  never  be  in 
duced  to  alter  her  decision. 

Mary  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  spending  most  of 
her  time  with  her  dearly  loved  younger  sister  Mar 
garet,  whom  she  speedily  followed  to  the  grave.  Her 
brother  Philip  recorded  her  death  in  these  words : 
"  Mary  Freneau,  eldest  daughter  of  Peter  Freneau 
and  Agnes  Watson,  died  at  Newburgh,  New  York 
State,  on  Thursday  evening,  Jan.  22d,  1829.  This 
truly  worthy  woman  was  born  in  her  father's  house  at 
Mount  Pleasant,  near  Middleton  Point,  on  the  loth 
of  September,  1754,  and  at  the  time  of  her  decease 
was  well  advanced  in  her  75th  year.  She  was  virtuous 
and  innocent  as  an  angel,  and  if  there  is  any  happiness 
in  another  life  for  the  upright  she  certainly  enjoys  it. 
Farewell. 

"  By  the  attention  and  care  of  her  relative  John  S. 

[67] 


Philip  Freneau 


Hunn,  her  body  was  interred  on  Jan.  24th  in  the  New- 
burgh  burying  ground  adjacent  to  the  grave  of  her 
sister  Margaret  A.  Hunn,  who  died  in  1828." 

Andrew,  the  third  and  youngest  son,  died  in  infancy  ; 
and  Margaret,  the  youngest  daughter,  having  married 
Mr.  John  S.  Hunn,  a  resident  of  Newburgh,  was  not 
buried  in  Locust  Grove.  Her  sister,  as  we  have  seen, 
faithful  to  her  during  life,  was  laid  by  her  side  in  death. 
Philip  has  entered  only  two  of  these  deaths. 

"  My  brother  Andrew  died  of  the  small  pox  at 
Middletown  Point  in  April,  1759,  aged  about  one  year. 
He  was  interred  in  the  old  burying  ground  near  Mount 
Pleasant  which  Hendrick  Schenk  now  owns." 


[68\ 


Chapter  Fifth 


MONT  PLEASANT,  now  called  Freneau,  is 
situated  about  ten  miles  north  of  Freehold, 
the  seat  of  Monmouth  County,  New  Jer 
sey.  There  is  no  picture  extant  of  the  old  mansion  in 
its  setting  of  locust  trees  ;  but  most  likely  it  was  built 
in  the  usual  style  of  country  houses  of  that  period.  A 
writer1  upon  colonial  times  says  that  the  country  resi 
dences  of  the  landed  gentry  of  New  York  and  New 
Jersey  resembled  those  of  the  large  planters  of  the  South, 
in  that  they  usually  had  the  same  wide  hall  running 
through  the  house,  the  same  large  porticos  and  de 
tached  kitchens  for  summer  use  ;  and  that  the  condition 
of  life  was  somewhat  similar,  for,  although  the  broad 
acres  of  the  former  were  usually  farmed  by  tenants, 
the  house  was  always  filled  with  domestic  slaves ;  and 
there  was  the  same  tendency  to  imitate  the  life  of  the 
English  country  families,  as  far  as  the  surroundings 
would  permit. 

I  am  quite  certain  that  in  Pierre  Freneau's  case  the 
latter  paragraph  did  not  hold  good ;  for,  although  he 
probably  conformed  to  the  architectural  style  of  his 
adopted  country,  he  still  retained  the  French  manner 
of  life  that  he  had  been  accustomed  to  lead  in  his 
father's  house. 

To  the  northeast  of  the  mansion  rose  the  tree- 
crowned  summit  of  what  is  now  known  as  Beacon 
Hill ;  from  whose  heights  may  be  seen,  to  the  north, 
the  blue  waters  of  the  lower  bay,  and  eastward,  the 
deeper  blue  of  the  broad  Atlantic.  From  its  foot 
toward  the  south,  stretch  the  fertile  lands  of  New 
Jersey,  with  the  historic  battle-field  of  Monmouth 

1  Mr.  Eggleston,  in  The  Century  Magazine. 

[69] 


Philip  Freneau 


in  the  foreground,  —  although  at  that  time  unstained 
by  the  nation's  blood. 

As  a  boy,  it  was  Philip's  delight  to  climb  the 
rugged  heights  of  the  old  hill,  and  feast  his  eyes 
upon  the  beauties  of  nature  spread  before  him,  and 
watch  the  white  sails,  which,  like  mammoth  birds, 
hovered  over  the  foam-crested  waves.  It  is  very  prob 
able  that  these  early  scenes  made  a  lasting  impression 
upon  his  youthful  mind,  and  gave  rise  to  his  life 
long  yearning  for  the  perils  of  the  deep. 

Did  the  future  ever  cast  its  long  shadows  over  the 
beauty  of  the  scene,  and  cause  the  boy  to  draw 
his  breath  yet  more  quickly,  as  if  to  assure  himself 
that  the  pure  air  of  heaven  was  not  wanting?  Did 
it  seem  at  times  as  if  already  the  heavy  fetters  were 
pressing  upon  his  freedom-loving  hands  and  feet? 
Was  there  ever  an  idea  of  suffering  connected  with 
the  flutter  of  those  sails,  as  they  passed  and  repassed 
upon  the  peaceful  waters  ? 

Probably  not;  yet  the  ancients  believed  that  to 
the  poet  it  is  given  to  penetrate  the  mysteries  of 
the  future,  and  read  the  secrets  written  there.  He 
turns  away  —  perhaps  'tis  so;  but  shortly  after,  in 
a  pleasanter  mood,  we  see  him  bending  over  a  new 
found  treasure,  and  inhaling  the  perfume  of  its  pure 
sweet  breath.  He  seats  himself,  and,  drawing  from 
his  clothing  a  tiny  tablet,  he  inscribes  its  perfections 
thereon.  Let  us  look  over  his  shoulder,  —  he  will 
not  heed  us,  so  busily  is  he  engaged,  —  and  let  us 
read  what  he  is  so  rapidly  writing. 

THE   WILD    HONEYSUCKLE. 
Fair  flower,  that  dost  so  comely  grow, 

Hid  in  this  silent,  dull  retreat, 
Untouched  thy  honied  blossoms  blow, 
Unseen  thy  little  branches  greet : 

No  roving  foot  shall  crush  thee  here, 

No  busy  hand  provoke  a  tear. 

[TO] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

By  nature's  self  in  white  arrayed, 

She  bade  thee  shun  the  vulgar  eye, 
And  planted  here  the  guardian  shade, 
And  sent  soft  waters  murmuring  by ; 
Thus  quietly  thy  summer  goes, 
Thy  days  declining  to  repose. 

Smit  with  those  charms,  that  must  decay, 

I  grieve  to  see  your  future  doom  ; 
They  died  —  nor  were  those  flowers  more  gay, 
The  flowers  that  did  in  Eden  bloom  ; 

Unpitying  frosts,  and  autumn's  power, 

Shall  leave  no  vestige  of  this  flower. 

Ui 
From  morning's  suns  and  evening's  dews 

At  first  thy  little  being  came ; 
If  nothing  once,  you  nothing  lose, 
For  when  you  die  you  are  the  same  ; 

The  space  between  is  but  an  hour, 

The  frail  duration  of  a  flower. 

At  what  precise  age  the  little  poet  began  to  com 
pose,  we  know  not ;  but  we  are  told  that  verses  flowed 
from  his  pen  while  he  was  yet  a  child. 

Philip's  mother  was  a  woman  of  rare  intelligence 
and  exceptional  education ;  and  she  superintended 
her  son's  studies  until  he  had  completed  his  tenth 
year  ;  at  which  time  he  was  placed,  as  customary  in 
those  days,  under  the  care  of  a  minister  to  learn  the 
rudiments  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  languages,  as  a 
preparation  for  the  higher  course.  His  sensible 
mother  knew  that  a  boy  of  Philip's  ardent  tempera 
ment  required  sterner  control  than  a  loving  mother 
could  use ;  and  she  willingly  consented  that  he  should 
become  an  inmate  of  the  household  of  the  Reverend 
William  Tennant,  pastor  of  the  old  Tennant  Church, 
which  yet  stands  on  Monmouth's  battle-field,  its 
floor  still  bearing  the  stains  of  blood  shed  by 
its  country's  martyrs.  Perhaps,  as  a  writer  has  re- 

[7/1 


Philip  Freneau 


marked,  the  boy,  playing  about  what  afterwards 
became  historic  ground,  was  inspired  by  some  unseen 
power  to  become  the  "  Poet  of  the  Revolution," 
as  he  has  been  styled. 

Three  years  have  passed  away,  and  Philip  has 
been  booked  for  the  opening  term  in  the  Penolopen 
Latin  School,  conducted  by  the  Reverend  Alexander 
Mitchell,  for  a  preparatory  course  in  college. 

The  boy  is  on  his  way  for  the  last  time  to  the 
residence  of  his  tutor,  having  spent  a  short  vaca 
tion  at  home.  Changes  are  always  sad,  even  when 
most  desired;  and  as  he  trudges  along,  with  his 
favorite  Horace  under  his  arm,  the  merry  whistle  at 
times  takes  a  somewhat  sadder  strain,  —  for  are  not 
joyous  natures  ever  the  most  capable  of  the  deeper 
sentiments  ?  He  pauses  on  a  slight  eminence ;  the 
whistle  dies  upon  his  lips,  and  a  dreamy  look  comes 
over  his  face.  There  are  moments  in  the  lives 
of  most  of  us  —  I  might  say  portions  of  seconds 
—  in  which  the  misty  veil  of  the  future  is  raised ; 
and  down  the  vista  of  years  our  mental  vision 
has  barely  time  to  travel,  and  rest  upon  some 
object,  when  the  veil  is  dropped  again,  and  we  are 
conscious  only  of  an  isolated  impression,  concern 
ing  which  we  would  fain  know  more.  Let  us,  too, 
look  beyond  the  veil  and  read  the  secrets  of  the 
future. 

Where  the  road  forks,  not  far  from  the  old  Mon- 
mouth  meeting-house  stands  a  war-horse ;  and  on 
it  leans  a  person  of  majestic  mien  dressed  as  a 
soldier,  —  none  such,  however,  as  Philip  had  ever 
seen  before.  Anxiously  he  looks  down  the  road, 
as  if  awaiting  some  one.  A  soldier  on  horseback 
rides  up,  and,  throwing  himself  from  his  horse,  makes 
a  military  salute,  as  if  to  a  superior,  and  imparts 
some  information  of  .a  seemingly  unpleasant  nature. 
The  officer  quickly  throws  himself  into  the  saddle, 

[72] 


AGNES  WATSON 

Mother  of  Philip  Freneau 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

and  both  riders  disappear  in  the  distance,  from  which 
the  rolling  of  drums  and  rattle  of  musketry  are 
heard. 

The  boy  pursues  his  way  wrapped  in  deep  thought ; 
a  morass  lies  to  one  side  of  the  roadway,  over  which 
comes  the  wailing  of  the  wintry  wind,  and  great 
storm-clouds  veil  the  sun.  The  snow  begins  to  fall 

—  thicker  and  yet  faster  its  great  flakes  come;  and 
by  the    border    of  the    morass    lies  an  aged   man  as 
if  asleep ;    the   large  flakes    fall    upon    his  upturned 
face,   and    play  amongst  his  silvery  locks — and    the 
night  falls  —     The  boy  shudders  and  passes  his  hand 
across  his  eyes  to  know  if  he  is  really  awake.     The 
wind    has    fallen  and    the    sun    is    brightly    shining ; 
the   aged    sleeper    has   vanished,  and    with    him    the 
wintry  storm.      It  is  now  what  it  was  a  moment  ago, 

—  a  beautiful,  bright  morning  in  December,  the  eigh 
teenth  of  the  month. 

On  the  fourteenth  day  of  February  in  the  year 
1766,  Philip's  father  left  him  in  the  care  of  the 
Reverend  Mr.  Mitchell,  where  he  remained  until 
November  the  seventh,  of  sixty-eight.  His  father 
had  died  the  previous  year,  and,  much  as  his  widowed 
mother  desired  to  retain  Philip  with  her,  she  did  not 
blind  herself  to  the  fact  that  his  freedom-loving  spirit 
needed  the  discipline  that  a  set  form  of  rules,  enforced 
by  a  firm  hand,  alone  could  give.  She  also  realized  that, 
although  there  were  many  undesirable  features  in  a 
college  life,  still  the  training  of  the  intellectual  capa 
bilities  received  therein  surpassed  all  other,  and  con 
sequently  his  power  of  benefiting  others  would  be 
enhanced.  Therefore,  in  accordance  with  her  late 
husband's  views,  Philip  was  harnessed  into  the  rou 
tine  of  a  collegiate  course,  in  Nassau  Hall,  Princeton, 
New  Jersey. 

During  Philip's  course  John  Witherspoon  was 
president  of  the  college.  He  was  Scotch  by  birth, 

[73} 


Philip  Freneau 


r 


L 


but  had  thrown  himself  heart  and  soul  into  the 
fortunes  of  his  adopted  country ;  and  his  great  desire 
was  to  see  it  free  from  the  galling  yoke  of  servi 
tude.  Just  before  Philip's  entrance  General  Gage 
had  marched  with  seven  hundred  troops  into  Boston ; 
and  the  colonies  were  thrown  into  a  state  of  excite 
ment  by  an  Act  of  Parliament  which  declared  the 
people  of  Massachusetts  rebels;  it  had  also  issued 
an  order  for  those  considered  the  most  guilty  to  be 
sent  to  England  for  trial. 

The  young  patriots  of  Princeton  were  not  backward 
in  denouncing  this  injustice;  they  kindled  amongst 
themselves  the  fire  of  patriotism,  that  was  never  to 
be  extinguished,  and  their  efforts  were  encouraged  by 
their  patriotic  president.  Many  of  Philip's  classmates 
took  an  active  part  in  later  troubles,  and  left  their 
names  inscribed  in  their  country's  annals. 

Nearly  all  his  college-mates  obtained  prominence 
in  the  paths  they  entered  in  after  life.  Amongst 
these  were  Hugh  Henry  Brackenridge,  the  talented 
author  and  judge  ;  Brockholst  Livingston,1  future  Jus 
tice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States ; 
William  Bradford,  Attorney  General  during  Wash 
ington's  second  term  of  office ;  Gunning  Bedford,  a 
framer  of  the  Constitution  ;  Samuel  Spring,  chaplain 
to  the  Revolutionary  army  ;  who,  by  a  strange  coin 
cidence,  carried  wounded  from  the  field  another  old 
classmate,  Aaron  Burr,  afterwards  Vice  President  of 
the  United  States  ;  Aaron  Ogden,  afterwards  Governor 
of  New  Jersey;  Henry  Lee,  Light-Horse  Harry;  and 
James  Madison,  the  fourth  President,  who  was  Philip's 
room-mate  while  in  college,  as  well  as  his  warm  per 
sonal  friend,  and  an  aspirant,  as  we  have  already  seen, 
for  the  hand  of  his  sister. 

Philip  Fithian,  class  of  73,  in  a  letter  to  his  father,2 

1  This  college-mate  was  afterwards  related  to  Philip  by  marriage. 

2  Philip  Vickers  Fithian,  Journal  and  Letters. 

[74} 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

gives  us  an  idea  of  the  routine  of  college  life  in 
Nassau  Hall  during  President  Witherspoon's  admin 
istration.  He  says  the  rules  were  exceedingly  well 
formed  "  to  check  &  restrain  the  vicious  &  to 
assist  the  studious,  &  to  countenance  &  encourage 
the  virtuous.'*  The  bell  for  rising  was  rung  at  five 
o'clock,  and  lest  any  one  might  oversleep  themselves, 
the  servant,  after  ringing  the  bell,  knocked  at  each 
door  until  the  sleeper  awoke.  Half  an  hour  was 
allowed  for  them  to  dress,  after  which  prayers  were 
said  in  common.  The  grammar  scholars,  being  mostly 
small  boys,  were  excused  during  winter  from  morn 
ing  prayers.  On  Sundays  no  student  was  allowed, 
except  by  reason  of  sickness,  to  be  absent  from  pub 
lic  worship.  Two  sermons  were  preached,  one  in 
church  in  the  morning,  and  another  in  the  college 
hall  in  the  afternoon.  He  styles  Dr.  Witherspoon's 
sermons  almost  inimitable.  It  is  to  be  feared  that 
some  of  the  gifted  preacher's  moral  lessons  were  lost 
upon  a  few  of  his  hearers,  as  in  a  later  letter  Fithian 
writes :  cc  I  am  sorry  that  I  may  inform  you  that  two 
of  our  members  were  expelled  from  the  college,  not 
for  Drunkenness,  nor  Fighting,  nor  for  Swearing,  nor 
Sabbath-Breaking.  But  they  were  sent  from  this 
Seminary,  where  the  greatest  Pains  and  Care  are  taken 
to  cultivate  and  encourage  Decency,  &  Honesty,  & 
Honour,  for  stealing  Hens!"  In  1773,  one  Israel 
Evans  mentions  some  delinquencies  of  a  higher 
grade,  in  which  the  future  Justice  of  the  United 
States  along  with  some  others  were  fined  for  "  stealing 
Turkies."  In  that  year  1770  there  were  upward  of 
one  hundred  students,  including  the  grammar  scholars. 
The  Senior  class  contained  ten,  the  Junior  twenty- 
eight,  the  Sophomore  twenty-five,  and  Freshman  eigh 
teen.  Freneau  was  a  Senior  at  the  time. 

During    Philip's    first  year  we    are    told  he    made 
such    rapid    progress    as    to    cause    the    President    to 

[75] 


Philip  Freneau 


make  his  proficiency  the  subject-matter  of  a  letter 
to  his  mother.  It  is  said  that  in  his  early  days, 
Philip  gave  such  evidence  of  his  satirical  powers 
upon  whatever  gave  him  displeasure  as  to  cause  him 
to  be  as  much  dreaded  as  a  foe  as  he  was  loved  as  a 
friend. 

In  his  sophomore  year  he  wrote  a  poem  in  four 
cantos,  entitled  "  The  Poetical  History  of  the  Prophet 
Jonah  ; "  a  rhythmical  poem,  or  "  versified  paraphrase/' 
to  use  his  own  expression.  He  likewise  wrote  other 
compositions  in  various  metres,  on  classical  and 
historical  themes,  during  his  collegiate  course.  Two 
years  after  depicting  Jonah's  sad  fate,  he  wrote  the 
u  Pyramids  of  Egypt,"  a  dramatic  dialogue  in  blank 
verse.  The  scene  of  this  poem  is  laid  in  Egypt,  and 
the  characters  are  a  Traveller,  a  Genius,  and  Time ;  it 
contains  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  lines,  and  was 
considered  a  remarkable  poem  for  one  so  young.  The 
plot  of  the  poem  we  give. 

The  Traveller,  who  has  visited  Italy,  arrives  in 
Egypt,  meets  the  Genius,  and  asks  to  be  shown  the 
Pyramids,  saying  that  he  thought  the  remnants  of 
Rome  he  had  lately  seen  were  unrivalled.  The 
Genius  thus  answers  :  — 

"  Talk  not  of  Rome  !  before  they  lopt  a  bush 

From  the  seven  hills,  where  Rome,  Earth's  Empress,  stood, 
These  Pyramids  were  old,  their  birthday  is 
Beyond  tradition's  reach,  or  history." 

On  seeing  them,  the  Traveller  asks  how  many 
generations,  monarchies,  and  empires  — 

"  had  their  rise  and  fall 
While  these  remain  and  promise  to  remain, 
As  long  as  yonder  sun  shall  gild  their  summits, 
Or  moon,  or  stars,  their  wonted  circles  run." 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

The  Genius  replies  :  — 

u  The  time  shall  come 

When  these  stupendous  piles  you  deem  immortal, 
Worn  out  with  age  shall  moulder  on  their  bases, 
And  down,  down,  low  to  endless  ruin  verging, 
O'er-whelmed  by  dust,  be  seen  and  known  no  more. 

'T  was  on  this  plain  the  ancient  Memphis  stood, 
Her  walls  encircled  these  tall  pyramids,  — 
But  where  is  Pharao's  palace,  where  the  domes 
Of  Egypt's  haughty  lords  ?  —  All,  all,  are  gone, 
And  like  the  phantom  snows  of  a  May  morning 
Left  not  a  vestige  to  discover  them !  " 

To  the  Traveller's  question  as  to  how  the  Pyramids 
were  built,  the  Genius  says  :  — 

"  What  cannot  tyrants  do, 
When  they  have  nations  subject  to  their  will, 
And  the  world's  wealth  to  gratify  ambition  ? 
Millions  of  slaves  beneath  their  labors  fainted, 
Who  here  were  doomed  to  toil  incessantly, 
And  years  elapsed  while  groaning  myriads  strove 
To  raise  this  mighty  tomb,  —  and  but  to  hide 
The  worthless  bones  of  an  Egyptian  king." 

The  poem  closes  with  Time's  address  to  the  Traveller 
in  these  striking  lines  :  — 

"  These  piles  are  not  immortal ; 
This  earth,  with  all  its  balls  of  hills  and  mountains, 
Shall  perish  by  my  hand.     Then  how  can  these, 
These  hoary-headed  pyramids  of  Egypt, 
That  are  but  dwindled  warts  upon  her  body, 
That  on  a  little,  little  spot  of  ground 
Extinguish  the  dull  radiance  of  the  sun, 
Be  proof  to  death  and  me  !     Traveler,  return, 
There  's  naught  but  God  immortal  —  He  alone 
Exists  secure,  when  Man,  and  Death,  and  Time, 

[77] 


Philip  Freneau 


(Time  not  immortal,  but  a  fancied  point  in  the   circle  of 

eternity) 

Are  swallowed  up,  and  like  the  pyramids, 
Leave  not  an  atom  for  their  monument." 

"Is  not  this  true  poetry  ? "  Mr.  Delancey  adds. 
"Is  it  not  extraordinary  as  the  work  of  a  youth  of 
eighteen  years?  But  one  other  American  poet  ever 
wrote  anything  to  compare  with  it  so  early  in  life. 
Bryant  wrote  at  nineteen  his  c  Thanatopsis,'  and 
never  later  did  he  surpass  that  great  poem." 

In  the  year  1770  the  soldiers  in  New  York  City  cut 
down  a  liberty  pole  that  had  been  erected  by  the  band 
of  patriots  called  the  "Sons  of  Liberty."  A  conflict 
ensued  in  which  the  latter  won  the  day.  Shortly  after 
this  event  the  Boston  massacre  occurred,  which  created 
a  great  sensation  throughout  the  country.  As  we 
have  already  said,  President  Witherspoon  was  an 
ardent  patriot,  and  he  left  no  means  untried  to  instil 
into  the  minds  of  his  collegians  the  same  fire  of 
enthusiasm  that  burned  within  him ;  and  his  efforts 
met  a  ready  response  in  the  enthusiastic  temperament 
of  Philip,  whose  hatred  of  oppression  and  of  England 
was  equalled  only  by  his  passionate  love  of  liberty  and 
America.  During  his  college  days  the  young  poet 
offered  his  pen  on  the  shrine  of  Liberty,  and  vowed  to 
ever  use  it  in  her  sacred  service.  How  well  he  used 
it,  her  enemies  best  can  tell.  His  pen  was  his  bayonet, 
and  its  wounds  were  mortal. 

In  1 77 1,  the  year  of  Philip's  graduation,  he  composed, 
jointly  with  Hugh  Henry  Brackenridge,  their  com 
mencement  address,  which  they  recited.  It  was  entitled 
"  The  Rising  Glory  of  America,"  and  was  written  in 

1  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Edward  F.  Delancey  for  permission  to  reprint 
this  fragment  of  the  poem  along  with  his  remarks  which  are  taken  from 
his  lecture  before  the  Huguenot  Society  of  America  entitled  "  Philip 
Freneau  the  Huguenot  Patriot  Poet  of  the  Revolution  and  his  Poetry." 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

blank  verse  in  the  form  of  a  dialogue.  It  was  in 
eulogy  of  the  energy  and  progress  of  the  colonies,  and 
prophetic  of  the  future  glory  of  the  United  States. 
The  poem  was  well  received  and  appeared  two  years 
later  in  print  in  Philadelphia.  Its  motto,  taken  from 
Seneca,  was  afterwards  adopted  by  Washington  Irving 
as  the  heading  to  his  "  Life  of  Columbus/' 

I  would  call  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  his  eulogy 
of  Washington  in  the  poem  which  is  used  as  the 
dedicatory  poem  of  this  work ;  his  admiration  of  that 
illustrious  man's  character  never  waned,  although  in 
after  years  many  and  severe  were  his  comments  upon 
his  policy. 

This  poem  has  been  said  by  a  reviewer1  to  possess 
cc  considerable  merit  in  respect  to  the  ease  of  its  versi 
fication  and  beauty  of  its  description;  and  although  as 
a  whole  it  bears  the  marks  of  youth,  some  points  are 
worthy  of  a  person  of  mature  years,  and  will  not  suffer 
by  comparison  with  similar  productions  of  the  present 
day."  In  it  he  has  displayed  his  remarkable  prophetic 
gift. 

The  ivy  planted  by  the  class  of  '7 1  still  clasps  in  its 
embrace  the  old  walls  that  supported  it  during  the 
many  varied  and  thrilling  scenes  through  which  it 
passed ;  but  the  hands  that  planted  it  have  long  since 
turned  to  dust. 

Upon  leaving  college,  Philip,  to  comply  with  the 
desire  of  his  deceased  father  that  he  should  study 
divinity,  accepted  an  invitation  from  Hugh  Henry 
Brackenridge,  his  former  classmate  and  fellow-orator 
of  '71,  to  take  the  second  position  in  a  seminary  in 
Maryland,  of  which  he,  Brackenridge,  was  to  be 
principal,  and  at  the  same  time  pursue  his  theological 
course. 

It  would  seem  from  the  letter  to  Madison  while 
with  Brackenridge,  that  in  the  interim  of  his  leaving 

1  North  American  Review,  v.  xciii. 

179} 


Philip  Freneau 

Princeton  and  beginning  his  course  of  teaching  and 
study  in  the  Maryland  seminary,  he  had  tried  his 
hand  at  pedagogy  in  Flatbush,  Long  Island  ;  we  will 
let  him  describe  his  non-success  in  that  occupation 
which  he  held  some  thirteen  days. 


SOMERSET  COUNTY  IN  MARYLAND. 

November  22,  1772. 

SIR,  —  If  I  am  not  wrongly  informed  by  my  memory,  I 
have  not  seen  you  since  last  April.  You  may  recollect  I  was 
then  undertaking  a  school  at  Flatbush  on  Long  Island.  I  did 
enter  upon  the  business,  it  is  certain,  and  continued  in  it 
thirteen  days  —  but  Long  Island  I  have  bid  adieu,  with  all 
its  brainless  crew.  The  youth  of  that  detested  place,  are 
void  of  reason  and  of  grace.  From  Flushing  hills  to  Flat- 
bush  plains,  Deep  ignorance  unrivall'd  reigns.  I  am  very 
poetical,  but  excuse  it.  '  Si  fama  non  venit  ad  aures,'  if  you 
have  not  heard  the  rumour  of  this  story  (which,  by  the  by, 
is  told  in  various  Taverns  and  eating  houses),  you  must  allow 
me  to  be  a  little  prolix  with  it.  Those  who  employed  me 
were  some  gentlemen  of  New  York  ;  some  of  them  were 
bullies,  some  merchants,  and  others  Scoundrels.  They  sent 
me  Eight  children,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  10  years.  Some 
could  read,  others  spell  and  a  few  stammer  over  a  chapter 
of  the  Bible.  These  were  my  pupils  and  over  these  was 
I  to  preside.  My  Salary  moreover  was  £40,  —  there  is 
something  else  relating  to  that  I  shall  not  at  present  mention. 
After  I  forsook  them  they  proscribed  me  for  four  days  and 
swore  that  if  I  was  caught  in  New  York  they  would  either 
Trounce  or  maim  me,  but  I  luckily  escaped  with  my  goods 
to  Princetown,  where  I  remained  till  commencement  —  so 
much  for  this  affair.  I  have  printed  a  poem  in  New  York 
called  ct  The  American  Village,"  containing  about  four  hun 
dred  and  fifty  lines,  also  a  few  short  pieces  added;  I  would 
send  you  one  if  I  had  a  proper  opportunity  —  the  additional 
poems  are :  i.  u  A  Poem  to  the  Nymph  I  never  saw,"  "  The 
Miserable  Life  of  a  Pedagogue,"  and  Stanzas  on  "  An  ancient 
Dutch  House  on  Long  Island."  As  to  the  main  poem,  it  is 
damned  by  all  good  and  judicious  Judges.  My  name  is  in  the 

[So] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

title  page ;  this  is  called  vanity  by  some  —  but  "  who  so  fond 
as  a  youthful  bard  of  fame  ?  "  I  arrived  at  this  Sommerset 
Academy  the  i8th  of  October  and  intend  to  remain  here  till 
next  October.  I  am  assistant  to  Mr.  Brackenridge.  This 
is  the  last  time  I  shall  enter  into  such  a  business ;  it  worries 
me  to  death  and  by  no  means  suits  my  "  giddy,  wandering 
brain."  I  would  go  over  for  the  gown  this  time  two  years, 
but  the  old  hag  necessity  has  got  such  a  prodigious  gripe 
of  me  that  I  fear  I  shall  never  be  able  to  accomplish  it.  I 
believe  if  I  cannot  make  this  out  I  must  turn  quack  —  and 
indeed  I  am  now  reading  Physic  at  my  leisure  hours,  that  is, 
when  I  am  neither  sleeping,  hearing  classes,  or  writing 
Poetry.  For  these  three  take  up  all  my  time.  It  is  now 
late  at  night;  not  an  hour  ago  I  finished  a  little  poem  of 
about  400  lines,  entitled  a  Journey  to  Maryland,  being  the 
sum  of  my  adventures.  It  begins :  u  From  that  fam'd  town 
where  Hudson's  flood  unites  with  streams  perhaps  as  good, 
Muse,  has  your  bard  begun  to  roam  "  —  &  I  intend  to  write 
a  terrible  Satire  upon  certain  vicious  persons  of  quality  in 
N.  Y. — who  have  also  used  me  ill  —  and  print  it  next  fall; 
it  shall  contain  5  or  600  Lines.  Sometimes  I  write  pastorals 
to  shew  my  Wit,  — 

"  Deep  to  the  woods,  I  sing  a  Shepherd's  care, 
Deep  to  the  woods,  Cyllenius  calls  me  there, 
The  last  retreat  of  Love  and  Verse.      I  go. 
Verse  made  me  mad  at  first  and — will  keep  me  so." 

I  should  have  been  glad  to  have  heard  from  you  before  now. 
While  I  was  at  College  I  had  but  a  short  participation  of  your 
agreeable  friendship,  and  the  few  persons  I  converse  with  and 
yet  fewer  whose  conversation  I  delight  in,  make  me  regret 
the  Loss  of  it.  I  have  met  with  a  variety  of  rebuffs  this  year, 
which  I  forbear  to  mention.  I  look  like  an  unmeaning  Teague 
just  turned  out  of  the  hold  of  an  Irish  ship.  Coming  down 
hither  I  met  with  a  rare  adventure  at  Annapolis.  I  was  desti 
tute  even  of  a  brass  farthing.  I  got  clear  very  handsomely. 
Could  one  expect  even  to  see  you  again  ?  if  I  travel  through 
Virginia  I  shall  stop  and  talk  with  you  a  day  or  two.  I  should 
be  very  glad  to  receive  a  Letter  from  you  if  it  can  be  con 
veniently  forwarded.  In  short,  "  Non  sum  qualis  eram " 

[d]  [<?/] 


Philip  Freneau 


as  Partridge  says  in  Tom  Jones.  My  hair  is  grown  like  a 
mop  and  I  have  a  huge  tuft  of  Beard  directly  upon  my  chin. 
I  want  but  five  weeks  of  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  already 
feel  stiff"  with  age.  We  have  about  30  students  in  this 
Academy,  who  prey  upon  me  like  Leaches.  When  shall 
I  quit  this  whimpering  Jack,  and  hide  my  head  in  Acomack  ? 
Shall  I  leave  them  and  go  "  Where  Pokomoke's  long  stream 
meandring  flows  "  ?  Excuse  this  prodigious  Scrawl —  without 
stile  or  verse.  I  send  this  by  MT.  Luther  Martin,  who  will 
forward  it  to  Colonel  Lee,  and  he  to  you,  I  hope.  MT.  Martin 
lives  in  Acomack  in  Virginia,  this  side  the  bay.  Farewell, 
and  be  persuaded  I  remain  your 

truly  humble  Servt.  and  friend, 

PH.  F-R-E-N-E-A-U. 

Finding  in  himself  no  signs  of  vocation  to  the 
ministry,  Philip  took  up  the  study  of  law,  but  after 
a  time  he  found  it  too  dry  for  his  poetic  tempera 
ment,  and  instead  he  occupied  the  time  left  from  his 
professional  duties  in  writing  for  the  press  articles 
of  such  a  nature  as  to  stir  up  love  and  enthusiasm 
for  liberty,  and  a  detestation  of  Britain's  galling  yoke. 
"  He  was  the  poet  of  hatred,  and  he  carefully  trained 
himself  for  his  function  as  a  stern  political  satirist,  by 
studying  the  Roman  and  French  masterpieces  in 
satire;  he  began  his  career  at  a  fortunate  moment 
when  just  such  a  satirist  was  needed  and  when  the 
materials  for  such  satire  —  sincere,  wrathful,  Juvenalian 
satire  —  were  furnished  to  him  in  abundance  by  the 
conduct  of  the  English  government  and  its  civil 
and  military  representatives  in  America/'  Upon 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war  Philip  returned  to  Phila 
delphia  and  threw  himself  heart  and  soul  into  the 
interests  of  his  country,  endeavoring  by  his  pen  to 
throw  off  at  once  and  forever  the  yoke  of  foreign 
servitude. 

The   colonists    were  not  desirous    of  severing    all 

1  Professor  Tyler. 

[*»'] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

connection  with  the  mother  country,  and  were  quite 
willing  to  make  any  concessions  to  preserve  their 
former  relations  with  it ;  and  therefore  contented 
themselves  with  merely  endeavoring  to  maintain  the 
rights  guaranteed  them  by  their  charters  and  ratified 
by  the  Constitution. 

They  acted  solely  on  the  defensive,  hoping  to  gain 
redress  for  their  grievances  by  another  petition  to  the 
Crown. 

Philip  was  no  conservative ;  and,  finding  his  coun 
trymen  too  slow  in  making  use  of  the  golden  oppor 
tunity  now  offered  of  making  themselves  independent, 
and  fearing  that  further  concessions  from  the  Crown 
might  adjust  the  present  difficulty,  he  determined 
not  to  witness  the  total  overthrow  of  all  his  cherished 
hopes;  he  therefore  accepted  an  invitation  from  a 
West  Indian  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Hanson,  to 
visit  him  in  his  island  home.  This  gentleman  owned 
a  large  plantation  in  the  island  of  Jamaica,  and  sailed 
as  master  of  his  own  ship. 

During  the  passage  the  mate  died  :  and  Philip's 
love  of  the  sea  led  him  to  offer  himself  to  fill  his 
place,  and  also  to  study  navigation ;  of  which  branch 
of  science  he  soon  made  himself  a  master. 

While  in  Jamaica  he  recorded  his  detestation  of 
the  cruelties  of  slavery  in  a  poem  addressed  to  Sir 
Tobey,  a  planter  on  that  island :  — 

"  If  there  exists  a  Hell  —  the  case  is  clear 
Sir  Tobey's  slaves  enjoy  that  portion  here." 

It  is  probable  that  if  Philip  ever  made  a  second  visit 
to  that  island,  Sir  Tobey  did  not  receive  him  as  favor 
ably  as  he  did  upon  the  first  visit. 

From  Jamaica,  Philip  visited  the  Danish  Island  of 
Santa  Cruz,  where  his  poetic  nature  revelled  in  the 
natural  beauties  of  the  scenery,  which  he  enjoyed  to 
the  fullest  extent.  He  loved  to  watch  the  great  soft 


Philip  Freneau 


waves  folding  themselves  gently  and  noiselessly  over 
beaches  of  the  whitest  sand ;  the  brilliant  water,  now 
sparkling  like  sapphire  in  the  sunlight,  and  again 
paling  into  the  most  delicate  turquoise  hue  when 
shadowed  by  a  passing  cloud ;  the  long  sea-grasses 
of  crimson  and  amber  waving  to  and  fro  in  the 
water,  or  tossed  here  and  there  when  a  slight  breeze 
ruffled  its  bosom ;  the  gauzy-winged  fishes  as  they 
skimmed  over  the  waves,  reflecting  the  colors  of 
the  rainbow, — 

"Some  streak'd  with  burnish'd  gold,  resplendent  glare, 
Some  cleave  the  limpid  deep,  all  silver'd  o'er, 
Some  clad  in  living  green,  delight  the  eye, 
Some  red,  some  blue  ;  of  mingled  colors  more." 

He  admired  the  vari-colored  houses,  of  delicate  tints 
of  pink,  yellow,  and  blue,  nestling  in  a  rich  setting  of 
different  shades  of  green  :  — 

"  Among  the  shades  of  yonder  whispering  grove 
The  green  palmettoes  mingle,  tall  and  fair, 
That  ever  murmur,  and  forever  move 
Fanning  with  wavy  bough  the  ambient  air. 

"  Sweet  orange  groves  in  lovely  vallies  rise, 
And  drop  their  fruits,  unnotic'd  and  unknown, 
The  cooling,  acid  limes  in  hedges  grow, 
The  juicy  lemons  swell  in  shades  their  own."1 

He  admired  the  plantain  and  banana  trees  with 
their  burdens  of  luscious  fruit ;  the  crimson  pome 
granates  and  golden  pawpaws  of  the  valleys,  behind 
which  towered  the  rugged  peaks  of  the  volcanic 
ridge  clothed  with  forests  of  the  "  guava's  stripling 
tree,"  the  smooth  white  cedar,  and  the  "bay  tree 
with  its  aromatic  green,"  and  crowned  with  the  grace 
ful  waving  palm. 

1  The  Beauties  of  Santa  Cruz. 

[«*] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

"  Such  were  the  isles  which  happy  Flaccus  sung 
Where  one  tree  blossoms  while  another  bears, 
Where  Spring,  forever  gay,  and  ever  young, 
Walks  her  gay  round  through  her  unwearied  years."  x 

All  this  was  very  delightful  to  the  poetic  side 
of  Philip's  nature  ;  but  like  all  that  is  beautiful 
on  earth,  it  had  its  dark  side  in  the  detestable  slavery 
that  "  cast  a  shadow  over  all.  c  If  you  have  tears 
to  shed,  prepare  to  shed  them  now/  "  he  writes :  — 

"A  description  of  the  cruelties  the  poor  slaves  endure 
would  be  too  irksome  and  unpleasant  to  me;  and  to  those 
who  have  not  beheld  it,  would  be  incredible.  Sufficient  be 
it  to  say,  that  no  class  of  mankind  in  the  known  world 
undergo  so  complete  a  servitude  as  the  common  negroes  in 
the  West  Indies.  It  casts  a  pall  over  the  natural  charms  of 
the  country,  it  blots  out  the  beauties  of  the  eternal  spring 
which  providence  has  there  ordained  to  reign ;  and  amidst 
all  the  profusion  of  bounties  which  nature  has  scattered  — 
the  brightness  of  the  heaven,  the  mildness  of  the  air,  and  the 
luxuriancy  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  —  it  leaves  me  melan 
choly  and  disconsolate,  convinced  that  there  is  no  pleasure 
in  this  world  without  its  share  of  pain.  And  thus  the  earth, 
which,  were  it  not  for  the  lust  of  pride  and  dominion,  might 
be  an  earthly  paradise,  is,  by  the  ambition  and  overbearing 
nature  of  mankind  rendered  an  eternal  scene  of  desolation, 
woe,  and  horror ;  the  weak  goes  to  the  wall,  while  the  strong 
prevails ;  and  after  our  ambitious  frenzy  has  turned  the  world 
upside  down  we  are  contented  with  a  narrow  spot,  and  leave 
our  follies  and  cruelties  to  be  acted  over  again  by  every  suc 
ceeding  generation." 

It  was  during  his  sojourn  upon  this  island  that 
he  wrote  his  poems  entitled,  "  The  Beauties  of  Santa 
Cruz,"  and  the  "  House  of  Night."  The  latter  poem 
is  a  weird  thing  "  founded  upon  the  authority  of 
the  Scripture,  inasmuch  as  these  sacred  books  assert, 

1  The  Beauties  of  Santa  Cruz. 


Philip  Freneau 


that  the  last  enemy  that  shall  be  conquered  is  Death" 
Death  is  herein  personified  and  represented  on  his 
dying  bed.  This  scene  is  in  a  solitary  place,  and  the 
time  midnight.  An  amiable,  majestic  youth  who  has 
but  lately  suffered  from  his  aggression,  Death  having 
carried  off  his  beloved  wife,  with  a  noble  fortitude  and 
humanity  entertains  him,  although  an  enemy  ;  thus 
carrying  into  practice  the  divine  precept,  "If  thine 
enemy  hunger,  feed  him;  if  he  thirst,  give  him  drink." 
The  poem  concludes  with  some  reflection  on  the 
impropriety  of  too  great  an  attachment  to  this  present 
life,  and  incentives  to  such  moral  virtue  as  may  assist 
in  conducting  to  a  better  one. 

He  describes  it  as  a  cc  fearful  vision  at  the  midnight 
hour/' 

"  Such  was  the  dream  the  sage  Chaldean  saw 

Disclosed  to  him  that  felt  heav'n's  vengeful  rod 
Such  was  the  ghost,  who  through  deep  silence  cry'd, 
1  Shall  mortal  man  be  Juster  than  his  God?  '  " 

The  poem  contains  one  hundred  and  thirty-six 
stanzas,  having  been  increased  from  the  original  seventy- 
three. 

The  latter  stanzas  contain  the  moral,  — 

"  What  is  this  Death,  ye  deep  read  sophists,  say  ? 

Death  is  no  more  than  one  unceasing  change ; 
New  forms  arise,  while  other  forms  decay, 
Yet  all  is  Life  throughout  creation's  range. 

"  The  towering  Alps,  the  haughty  Appenine, 
The  Andes  wrapped  in  everlasting  snow, 
The  Appalachian  and  the  Arrarat 
Sooner  or  later  must  to  ruin  go. 

"  Hills  sink  to  plains,  and  man  returns  to  dust, 

That  dust  supports  a  reptile  or  a  flower ; 
Each  changeful  atom  by  some  other  nurs'd 
Takes  some  new  form,  to  perish  in  an  hour. 

[86] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

"  Too  nearly  join'd  to  sickness,  toils  and  pains, 

(  Perhaps  for  former  crimes  imprisoned  here  ) 
True  to  itself  the  immortal  soul  remains, 

And  seeks  new  mansions  in  the  starry  sphere. 

"  When  Nature  bids  thee  from  the  world  retire, 
With  Joy  thy  lodging  leave,  a  fated  guest, 
In  Paradise,  the  land  of  thy  desire, 
Existing  always,  always  to  be  blest." 

Both  of  these  poems  have  been  changed  since 
originally  written  in  Santa  Cruz,  and  they  have  been 
lengthened  considerably,  the  former  being  increased 
from  fifty-two  to  one  hundred  and  nine  stanzas,  and 
the  latter,  as  we  have  already  stated,  from  seventy-three 
to  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  stanzas. 

Most  of  Freneau's  poems  have  been  greatly  changed 
in  later  editions  of  his  works.  He  was  given  to  review 
ing,  which  exhibits  the  care  he  bestowed  upon  his  pro 
ductions;  but  which  perhaps  caused  them  to  lose  some 
of  their  original  bouquet,  if  we  may  use  this  word  in 
such  connection. 

It  is  doubtful  if  so  much  revision  is  beneficial  to 
such  spontaneous  productions  as  poetry  is  supposed 
to  be,  and  marked  by  more  or  less  of  inspira 
tion.  Revision  usually  being  done  in  moments  in 
which  that  fire  burns  low,  if  at  all,  it  would  not 
be  surprising  if  the  various  parts  of  such  a  whole 
would  seem  to  be  somewhat  lacking  in  harmony  of 
sentiment. 

In  his  "  House  of  Night "  Freneau  has  acknowl 
edged  thi3  fact,  although  he  was  not  alluding  to 
reviewing :  — 

"  Stranger,  believe  the  truth  experience  tells,  — 

Poetic  dreams  are  of  a  finer  cast 
Than  those  which  o'er  the  sober  brain  diffus'd 
Are  but  a  repetition  of  some  action  past." 


Philip  Freneau 


Returning  northward,  Philip  stopped  at  the  Ber 
mudas;  and  remained  there  some  six  months  as  a 
guest  of  the  governor.  The  reason  of  his  prolonged 
stay  in  these  islands  may  be  accounted  for  by  the 
numerous  sonnets  addressed  to  the  fair  Amanda,  the 
amiable  daughter  of  his  host.  And  while  Philip  sipped 
the  governor's  wine  and  basked  in  the  smiles  of  his  fair 
daughter,  his  first  pure  love,  fair  Liberty,  lay  bleeding 
in  the  dust ;  and  the  pen  he  had  vowed  to  her  service 
was  employed  in  depicting  the  charms  of  her  rival. 


[88} 


Chapter  Sixth 


WHILE  Philip  was  still  a  collegian,  and  even 
indeed  a  schoolboy,  his  cousin,  John  Morin 
Scott,  whom  we  have  already  mentioned, 
was  actively  engaged  in  the  affairs  of  the  colony,  and 
had  already  formed  ideas  of  its  future  freedom.  Per 
haps,  indeed,  it  was  from  him  that  Philip  drew  some 
of  his  enthusiasm  on  the  subject,  as,  being  considerably 
his  senior  in  years,  Scott's  opinions  would  have  great 
weight  with  his  fatherless  young  cousin. 

Morin  Scott  was  in  reality  Philip's  father's  cousin, 
their  mothers,  Mrs.  Andre  Freneau  and  Mrs.  Scott, 
being  sisters.  Both  of  these  men  were  gifted  with  the 
enthusiastic  nature  of  their  French  parentage ;  but 
Morin  Scott  was  not  so  easily  carried  away  by  his  feel 
ings  as  was  his  young  cousin,  —  whether  it  was  from 
the  fact  of  his  early  education  having  been  in  less 
exciting  times,  thus  giving  him  time  to  learn  self- 
control  before  the  soul-stirring  events  that  imme 
diately  preceded  the  Revolution,  or  from  his  habits 
of  logical  thought  engendered  by  his  steady  appli 
cation  to  his  profession.  It  may  have  been  partly  due 
to  the  mixture  of  Scotch  blood  in  his  veins,  —  his 
father  being  a  descendant  of  the  ancient  Scotch  barons 
of  Ancram.1 

Morin  Scott's  birth  antedated  Philip's  some  twenty- 
two  years  ;  he  was  graduated  from  Yale  College  in  the 
year  1746,  and  had  finished  his  law  course  before  Philip 
was  born.  His  marriage  took  place  about  the  time  of 
his  cousin's  birth.  Scott's  wife  was  Helena,  daughter 

1  Miss  Scott  of  Ancram,  whose  name  appears  amongst  the  British 
poets,  was  a  member  of  this  family. 


Philip  Freneau 


of  Peter  Rutger  and  Elizabeth  Williams,1  the  daughter 
of  a  naval  officer  of  the  Port  of  New  York;  their 
children  were:  Mary,  born  July  17,  1753;  Louis 
Allaire,  afterwards  Secretary  of  State,  born  February 
n,  1754;  John  Morin,  Jr.,  born  May  9,  1755,  and 
baptized  by  the  Reverend  Aaron  Burr2  June  15,  1755  ; 
and  Peter  Rutger  born  July  6,  1756. 

Scott  was  a  stanch  whig  in  the  ante-bellum  days, 
and  was  devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  country ;  he 
was  considered  one  of  the  most  eminent  lawyers  of 
the  time.  We  find  his  name  in  O'Callaghan's  "  Docu 
mentary  History  "  as  being  retained  by  Jacob  Daller, 
who  arrived  in  New  York  in  the  year  1765  and 
invited  himself  into  the  pastorate  of  the  French  Church, 
threatening  the  Consistory  to  carry  the  matter  into 
court  if  they  did  not  receive  him.  Trouble  ensuing, 
Morin  Scott  and  William  Smith3  were  retained  by  the 
aforesaid  self-appointee,  who  was  advised  by  them  to 
submit  his  difference  with  the  church  to  arbitration. 
The  Consistory  threatened  the  lawyers  for  the  act  and 
asked  for  an  interview,  which  was  held  in  the  room  of 
the  Consistory.  After  a  long  and  painful  process  of 
litigation  and  personal  antagonism  Mr.  Daller  set  out 
for  London  the  year  following. 

In  1754  we  find  Scott's  name  in  the  records  of  the 
French  church,  of  which  he  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  a  member,  as  a  witness,  along  with  his  cousin 
Andre  Freneau,  Jr.,  to  the  marriage  of  their  mutual 
cousin  Marie  Allaire ;  the  marriage  being  held  at  the 
house  of  the  bride's  parents. 

As  we  have  stated  in  a  preceding  chapter,  Governor 
Dongan,  upon  assuming  the  administration,  had  given 
the  colony  its  first  Legislative  Assembly ;  which  con- 

1  This  lady  was  step-daughter  to  Col.  Fred.  Philipse,  the  last  proprie 
tor  of  Philipse  Manor  of  Philipseburgh. 

2  Father  to  Aaron  Burr  the  vice-president. 

8  William  Smith  married  a  daughter  of  John  Adams. 

{90} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

sisted  of  the  governor,  two  counsellors,  and  represen 
tatives  chosen  by  the  people  to  represent  each  ward, 
who  were  elected  annually.  Scott  had  been  for  five 
years,  or  from  1757  to  1762  successively,  chosen  to 
represent  the  "Out-ward,"  which  comprised  Harlem 
and  all  that  district  outside  of  the  city's  wall. 

During  the  second  attempt  made  by  Parliament  in 
the  year  1761  to  enforce  the  Importation  Act,  the 
colonial  courts  were  authorized  to  issue  Writs  of 
Assistance,  or  search-warrants,  to  constables  to  enable 
them  to  effect  an  entrance  into  any  locality  in  which 
there  was  the  slightest  suspicion  of  goods  that  had 
evaded  the  duty  being  concealed ;  and  such  goods 
were  liable  to  be  seized  by  those  officers.  William 
Smith,  William  Livingston,  and  John  Morin  Scott,  all 
three  eminent  lawyers,  protested  through  the  public 
print  against  these  proceedings :  they  claimed  that  the 
judiciary  was  not  dependent  upon  the  king ;  and  they 
protested  against  the  search  warrants  being  issued, 
denying  the  government  the  right  of  instituting  the 
search. 

In  Boston,  James  Otis  denounced  the  Act  as  un 
constitutional,  and  in  a  masterly  address  pleaded  the 
rights  of  the  colonists,  — which  produced  a  great 
sensation  throughout  all  the  colonies ;  and  hints  of 
resistance  even  to  arms  were  thrown  out. 

After  the  passage  of  the  Stamp  Act  in  the  year  1765, 
although  it  was  not  in  itself  oppressive,  Scott  publicly 
resented  its  being  carried  into  effect,  as  being  illegal 
and  unconstitutional.  He,  as  well  as  all  patriots, 
claimed  that,  as  British  subjects,  the  Constitution  was 
as  dear  to  them  as  to  all  those  born  in  England  ;  and  it 
provided  against  all  forced  loans  by  the  Crown,  which 
was  in  reality  taxation  without  representation.  The 
Act  was  carried  into  effect,  however,  and  the  colonists 
divided  themselves  into  two  parties;  the  one  uphold 
ing  the  king  and  styled  Tories,  and  the  Whigs,  who 


Philip  Freneau 


deemed  it  but  right  to  resent  even  to  death  all  acts  of 
tyranny.  The  contest  between  these  parties  was  full 
of  bitterness,  and  the  members  of  one  heaped  abuse 
on  those  of  the  other  without  mercy.  The  public 
printers,  Rivington  on  the  one  side,  and  Hugh  Gaines 
on  the  other,  tried  their  utmost  to  fan  the  flames,  which 
spread  in  all  directions. 

The  other  colonies  took  up  the  matter,  and  finally 
James  Otis,  Massachusetts*  eloquent  orator, 'suggested 
that  without  leave  of  the  king,  each  colony  should 
appoint  delegates  to  meet  in  a  congress  to  discuss  the 
affairs  of  the  nation.  To  this  proposition  all  the 
colonies  agreed  ;  the  day  set  for  it  to  convene  was 
October  7,  1765,  and  by  common  consent  New  York 
City  was  chosen  as  the  place  in  which  it  would  be  held. 
Nine  of  the  thirteen  States  were  represented,  and  the 
number  of  delegates  was  twenty-eight,  John  Morin 
Scott  representing  New  York.  Timothy  Ruggles  was 
elected  president  of  the  Congress,  and  two  papers  were 
drawn  up  ;  one  of  which  was  a  Declaration  of  Rights, 
and  the  other  an  Address  to  the  King.  The  former 
set  forth  that  as  English  subjects  the  American 
colonists  could  not  and  would  not  consent  to  be  taxed 
but  by  their  own  representatives.  The  paper  to  the 
king  was  a  humble  petition  for  a  more  just  and 
humane  course  of  action  towards  his  loyal  subjects  in 
America.  Memorials  were  also  addressed  to  the  two 
houses  of  Parliament.  At  the  Congress  it  was  decided 
to  abandon  the  use  of  all  such  goods  as  were  imported 
from  England,  and  to  stop  all  commerce  between  the 
mother  country  and  the  colonies,  until  she  should 
desist  from  her  illegal  efforts  to  tax  them. 

A  society  was  then  formed  called  the  "  Sons  of 
Liberty  ; "  meetings  were  held  during  the  summer 
months,  and  sharp  eyes  watched  all  proceedings.  The 
paper  at  length  arrived,  no  notice  having  been  taken 
of  their  petition ;  therefore  the  first  night  after  the 

[92] 


T*he  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

night  rattle  had  gone  his  rounds,  billets  were  hastily 
posted  on  trees  throughout  the  city  which  read  — • 

PRO    PATRIA! 

'The  first  man  that  distributes  or  makes  use  of  stamped 
paper,  let  him  take  care  of  his  house  and  effects. 

VOX    POPULI1 

James  McEvers  had  been  appointed  stamp  collector 
for  New  York,  but  as  he  owned  a  handsome  residence 
near  Hanover  Square,  he  thought  it  wiser  to  resign 
his  office  than  his  house ;  and  no  one  being  found  to 
fill  his  vacated  position,  the  paper  found  no  "local 
habitation  "  and  was  relegated  to  the  fort. 

The  Sons  of  Liberty  held  their  meetings  at  what  was 
then  known  as  the  Fields, —  now  City  Hall  Park  ;  and 
here  platforms  were  erected,  and  the  population  met  to 
listen  to  the  exhortations  of  the  tribunes,  amongst 
whom  were  Oliver  Delancy,  John  Jay,  Alexander 
McDougall,  Isaac  Sears,  Robert  and  Philip  Livingston, 
John  Morin  Scott,  John  Lamb,  Peter  Curtentius, 
Alexander  Hamilton,  and  others.  On  the  opposite 
side  were  Cadwallader  Golden,  Thomas  Gage,  Revs. 
Myles  Cooper  and  Auchmuchty,  Samuel  Bayard, 
S.  H.  Cruger,  D.  Harsmonden,  and  others. 

The  thirty-first  of  October,  the  day  the  governor  was 
to  take  the  oath  to  carry  the  Act  into  effect,  was  kept 
as  a  day  of  public  mourning ;  and  in  the  evening  two 
hundred  leading  merchants  met  in  the  City  Arms 
Coffee  House,  and  passed  a  resolution  to  import  no 
more  goods  from  England  until  the  Act  was  repealed. 
The  following  day  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  Fields, 
after  which  the  Sons  of  Liberty  marched  to  the  fort 
and  gave  the  governor's  house,  in  which  the  paper  was 
stored,  a  house-warming. 

The  Act  was  repealed,  and  the  following  June,  upon 
1  Todd. 

[93] 


Philip  Freneau 


the  king's  birthday,  his  loyal  sons  set  up  a  liberty 
pole  to  commemorate  the  joyful  event  and  also  his 
great  clemency  in  repealing  the  Act ;  but  some  way  the 
soldiers  did  not  see  it  quite  in  this  light  and  they 
pulled  it  down.  Again  and  again  it  was  raised,  and 
again  and  again  it  was  levelled ;  until,  to  save  time  in 
future,  the  "  Sons  "  braced  it  with  iron  to  the  height 
of  seventy-three  feet  from  the  ground,  and  after  that 
it  was  "  let  live." 

When  the  news  of  Boston's  tea  party  reached  New 
York,  the  "  Sons  "  met  together  and  formed  a  resolu 
tion  that  no  tea  should  land  at  the  wharves  of  the  city. 
The  mayor  tried  to  induce  them  to  allow  it  to  land 
and  remain  until  it  could  be  placed,  but  they  decidedly 
refused  it  hospitality,  not  allowing  it  to  remain  for 
even  one  night  in  the  fort,  after  which  the  meeting 
adjourned  until  the  tea  should  arrive. 

After  a  long  delay  the  "  Nancy,"  J  that  was  supposed 
to  have  the  tea,  hove  in  sight  in  a  most  pitiable  condi 
tion  :  one  mast  was  gone,  an  anchor  had  been  lost,  and 
she  had  met  with  various  other  mishaps.  But  the 
hearts  of  the  "  Sons  "  were  not  touched  by  her  plight : 
they  bade  her  remain  at  the  length  of  the  harbor, 
and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  watch  her  until  she 
should  be  sufficiently  repaired  to  make  a  return  trip 
with  her  tea.  The  sailors  were  not  allowed  to  land, 
lest  they  might  not  be  ready  when  wanted ;  but  her 
captain  was  escorted  to  the  city  and  advised  to  make 
preparations  for  an  early  return,  but  was  forbidden 
to  enter  the  Custom  House. 

As  soon  as  the  "  Nancy "  was  ready,  the  Com 
mittee  of  Safety,  of  which  Morin  Scott  was  a  member, 
waited  upon  the  captain  at  his  lodgings,  and  a  pro 
cession  was  formed  to  escort  him  to  the  sloop  that 
was  to  bear  him  to  his  "  Nancy/'  and  he  marched  to 
the  sound  of  martial  music  and  the  ringing  of  bells. 

1  The  tea  in  reality  was  in  another  ship. 

[94] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

It  was  a  veritable  sight  for  the  American  small  boy. 
Every  ship  in  the  harbor  ran  up  its  colors,  and  the 
liberty  pole  was  graced  with  bunting;  and  with  the 
roar  of  artillery  the  captain  sailed  away,  and  he  and 
his  "  Nancy  "  were  heard  of  no  more. 

About  noon  of  Sunday,  the  twenty-third  of  April 
in  the  year  1775,  four  days  after  the  Battle  of  Lex 
ington,  Scott,  along  with  other  members  of  the  Com 
mittee  of  Safety,  were  assembled  in  the  committee 
room  on  Broadway,  when  a  rider  hastily  drew  up 
and,  dismounting,  handed  them  a  paper.  It  was  to  ap 
prise  them  of  the  fact  of  the  mother  country  having 
been  the  first  to  shed  the  blood  of  her  children,  and 
that  all  that  was  left  for  them  was  to  defend  themselves  ; 
therefore  the  Massachusetts  Committee  of  Safety  had 
resolved  to  enlist  eight  thousand  men.  After  reading 
it  the  Committee  endorsed  it,  and  the  rider  started 
on  his  way  southward. 

The  news  was  speedily  made  public,  and  there  was 
a  popular  outbreak  in  the  city.  The  keys  of  the 
arsenal  were  not  to  be  found,  but  the  door  was  forced 
open  by  the  excited  populace,  and  six  hundred  mus 
kets  and  accoutrements  were  distributed  amongst  the 
citizens.  The  fort  and  magazines  were  seized  and  the 
citizens  assumed  the  government  of  the  city.  They 
proceeded  at  once  to  elect  a  committee  of  one  hun 
dred  of  the  most  influential  inhabitants,  to  take  charge 
of  the  government ;  amongst  these  was  Scott.  It  was 
called  the  "  Committee  of  One  Hundred." 

The  soldiery  had  been  ordered  to  Boston  to  rein 
force  Gage,  and  the  Committee  permitted  them  to 
depart.  They  marched  to  the  wharf  at  the  foot  of 
Broad  Street,  where  lay  the  "  Asia  "  ready  to  receive 
them.  Six  carts  laden  with  arms  and  ammunition 
preceded  them.  At  the  foot  of  the  street  a  member 
of  the  "  One  Hundred  "  stepped  forward  and  said  that 
the  Committee  requested  them  to  leave  the  arms  and 

[95\ 


Philip  Freneau 


ammunition  behind,  as  they  belonged  to  the  colony 
and  could  not  be  taken  out  of  it ;  then  taking  the 
bridle  of  the  first  horse  he  turned  it  off  towards 
Beaver  Street,  and  the  other  five  followed.  The 
soldiers  were  permitted  to  embark. 

During  the  remainder  of  seventy-five  and  until  the 
spring  of  seventy-six  the  state  of  affairs  was  sad 
enough.  In  a  letter  written  by  Morin  Scott,  dated 
November  fifteenth,  seventy-five,  he  describes  the 
general  feeling.  He  says  :  — 

"  Every  office  shut  up  almost  but  Sam  Jones',  who  will 
work  for  six  a  day  and  live  accordingly.  All  business  stag 
nated  ;  the  city  half  deserted  for  fear  of  a  bombardment.  A 
new  Congress  elected.  Those  for  New  York  you  will  see 
by  the  papers,  changed  for  the  better.  All  staunch  Whigs 
now.  .  .  .  Nothing  from  t'  other  side  of  the  water  but  a  fear 
ful  looking  for  of  wrath.  Our  Continental  petition  most  prob 
ably  condemned  —  the  bulk  of  the  nation,  it  is  said  are 
against  us  and  a  bloody  campaign  next  summer.  But  let  us 
be  prepared  for  the  worst.  Who  can  prize  life  without 
liberty  !  it  is  a  bauble  only  fit  to  be  thrown  away." 

The  spring  and  summer  of  seventy-six  were  spent 
in  equipping  and  drilling  the  hastily  formed  troops 
and  in  fortifying  the  city.  On  the  ninth  of  May  the 
Continental  Congress  met  in  Philadelphia,  in  which  a 
last  appeal  was  made  to  the  king;  and  he  was  informed 
that  the  colonists  had  chosen  war  instead  of  slavery. 
John  Adams,  in  an  address  to  the  assembled  patriots, 
spoke  of  the  necessity  of  having  a  commander  for  the 
army,  and  proposed  George  Washington  as  Comman- 
der-in-Chief  of  the  American  army.  Congress  con 
firmed  the  nomination  on  the  fifteenth  of  June,  and 
Washington  at  once  repaired  to  New  York  and  met 
the  new  Provincial  Congress,  of  which  Scott  was  a 
member,  and  which  was  then  sitting  in  the  city. 
The  Continental  Congress  had  put  the  quota  for  New 

[96] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

York  at  three  thousand  men,  and  the  new  commander 
conferred  with  the  New  York  Congress  upon  their 
equipment  and  officering,  also  upon  other  military 
matters. 

Four  regiments  were  immediately  raised,  and  Scott's 
old  companion  tribune,  and  also  fellow-member  of  the 
Committee  of  One  Hundred,  Alexander  McDougall, 
was  appointed  to  command  one.  Another  old  fellow- 
tribune,  John  Lamb,  was  ordered  by  the  Provincial 
Congress  to  remove  some  of  the  guns  from  Fort 
George  to  the  passes  by  the  Hudson.  While  fulfilling 
the  order  on  the  night  of  August  twenty-third,  a  launch 
belonging  to  the  "  Asia,"  a  British  ship,  fired  upon  his 
men.  Lamb  returned  fire,  and  killed  one  man  and 
wounded  several  other  men  ;  the  "  Asia  "  then  opened  a 
broadside  into  the  city,  and  some  of  Lamb's  men  were 
wounded,  and  most  of  the  inhabitants  fled.  The  Com 
mittee  of  One  Hundred  ordered  that  as  the  ship  had 
fired  upon  New  York  she  should  have  no  more  com 
munication  with  it,  and  that  in  future  all  communica 
tions  should  be  with  Governor's  Island. 

After  the  British  had  evacuated  Boston  and  Wash 
ington  had  formally  taken  possession,  the  latter 
brought  his  army  to  New  York,  where  he  was  met  by 
Lee  with  his  Connecticut  forces,  who  had  come  just 
in  time  to  baffle  the  plans  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who 
had  arrived  off  Sandy  Hook  for  a  descent  upon  the 
city,  but  instead  sailed  southward. 

The  mother  country  now  levied  twenty-five  thou 
sand  English  troops  and  seventeen  thousand  Hessians, 
and  ordered  an  immense  squadron  to  attempt  the  re 
duction  of  her  colonies ;  and  they,  seeing  no  more 
hope  of  an  amicable  settlement,  urged  their '  general 
assemblies  to  take  some  definite  step  toward  their 
independence  of  Great  Britain.  Morin  Scott,  being  a 
member  of  assembly,  met  with  the  other  members  in 
council,  and  they  urged  Congress  to  declare  formally 

[7]  [97] 


Philip  Freneau 


the  independence  of  the  United  Colonies.  Congress 
responded  by  recommending  the  different  colonies  to 
adopt  such  government  as  might  best  conduce  to  the 
safety  and  welfare  of  the  people ;  and  the  result,  after 
much  deliberation,  was  the  Declaration  of  Independ 
ence,  which  was  adopted  by  Congress  July  fourth, 
seventy-six. 

On  the  ninth  of  the  month,  at  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  the  troops  assembled  in  the  Fields,  and 
formed  in  a  hollow  square  at  the  lower  end,  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  on  horseback  being  in  the  centre, 
and  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  read  aloud 
by  one  of  his  aids.  At  the  conclusion  three  hearty 
cheers  were  given.  The  following  morning  it  was 
read  at  White  Plains,  and  after  it  the  Provincial 
Congress  pledged  themselves  to  "  sustain  it  at  the  risk 
of  their  lives  and  fortunes."  The  Provincial  Congress 
then  despatched  a  messenger  to  their  delegates  in  the 
Continental  Congress  convened  in  Philadelphia,  em 
powering  them  to  vote  in  the  name  of  the  New  York 
colony  for  its  adoption,  and  ordered  it  to  be  proclaimed 
in  the  city  of  New  York  by  beat  of  drum,  and  to  be 
read  publicly  from  the  City  Hall  in  Wall  Street. 

All  efforts  were  now  directed  to  preparing  for  war. 
Scott  was  appointed  to  assist  in  sustaining  Washington, 
with  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  was  appointed  to 
hold  and  fortify  Long  Island.  Powerful  works  were 
constructed  on  Brooklyn  Heights  to  command  New 
York,  this  point  being  the  key  of  the  whole  position. 
The  army  was  divided  into  five  divisions  under  Gen 
erals  Putnam,  Sullivan,  Greene,  Knox,  and  Stirling. 
Aaron  Burr,  then  aged  twenty  years,  was  on  Putnam's 
staff,  and  Alexander  Hamilton,  a  youth  of  nineteen, 
held  the  position  of  captain  of  battery. 

I  find  by  comparison  of  dates  that  Morin  Scott  held 
several  positions  at  the  same  time,  one  overlapping  two 
or  more  others ;  but  as  I  have  the  facts  from  public 

{9*} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

records,  it  may  be  accounted  for  in  this  way:  "It  is 
common,"  a  writer1  has  said  in  speaking  of  the  times, 
"  to  see  several  offices  in  the  hands  of  a  single  person 
who  perhaps  was  a  colonel,  a  judge  of  probate,  jus 
tice  of  the  peace,  member  of  the  legislature,"  etc. 

The  British  had  now  concentrated  their  forces, 
amounting  to  thirty  thousand  men,  nearly  half  of 
whom  were  Hessians,  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York. 
Washington's  army  was  greatly  inferior  to  them  in 
numbers  as  well  as  in  equipment  and  discipline. 

On  the  twenty-second  of  August  ten  thousand 
British  troops  landed  on  Long  Island  under  Howe, 
Tryon,  Clinton,  and  Cornwallis.  The  American  army, 
being  only  eight  thousand  strong,  was  posted  around 
Brooklyn.  On  the  twenty-seventh  of  August  Gen 
eral  Grant's  division  of  the  British  army  proceeded  as 
far  as  Greenwood  Cemetery,  where  General  Stirling 
met  him  with  fifteen  hundred  men,  and  hostilities 
commenced,  with  no  decisive  result.  General  Heister, 
in  command  of  the  British  centre,  advanced  beyond 
Flatbush  and  engaged  the  main  body  of  the  Ameri 
cans  under  Sullivan ;  but  they  gained  little  until  the 
latter  was  made  aware  that  a  battle  was  going  on  at 
his  left. 

Along  the  length  of  the  island  extended  a  ridge 
over  which  no  army  could  pass  except  at  the  regular 
passes  of  Flatbush  and  Jamaica,  and  at  these  points 
videttes  had  been  stationed  to  give  warning  of  any 
attempt  on  the  part  of  the  British  to  cross.  Putnam, 
towards  the  north,  held  the  fortified  camps.  Howe, 
by  some  strategy,  induced  the  young  officers  appointed 
to  guard  the  Flatbush  pass  to  advance  to  meet  him ; 
when  a  portion  of  his  army  making  a  detour  captured 
the  pass,  and  only  waited  for  the  morning  to  fold 
around  our  army.  Sullivan's  division  had  been  liter 
ally  cut  to  pieces.  Nothing  was  now  left  for  the 

i  Henry  W.  Frost. 

[99] 


Philip  Freneau 


patriots  but  to  yield  the  position ;  and  Washington, 
with  his  wonderful  tact,  that  caused  his  retreats  to  rank, 
next  to  victories,  collected  all  the  boats  possible.  A 
motley  assembly,  surely,  and  I  doubt  if  ever  such  a 
fleet  was  seen  before ;  sloops,  schooners,  whale-boats, 
periaugers,  and  rowing-galleys  worked  all  night,  and 
morning  gave  to  the  enemy  only  a  few  worthless  guns. 
Sullivan,  Stirling,  and  Woodhull,  with  nearly  one 
thousand  patriots,  were  missing  from  the  day's  battle. 
The  English  hastily  crossed  in  pursuit,  and  the  patri 
ots  tried  to  escape  across  the  island,  having  landed  at 
different  points  in  New  York.  Scott's  brigade  crossed 
at  Fifteenth  Street,  and  making  a  detour  of  the  city 
reached  Harlem  Plains,  where  he  met  the  other  strag 
glers.  Too  -much  praise  cannot  be  awarded  to  Mrs. 
Murray,1  whose  large  farm-house  stood  at  the  junction 
of  the  present  Thirty-fourth  Street  and  Lexington 
Avenue,  then  a  large  farm.  Here  by  her  tact  she 
entertained  Howe's  men  with  her  good  cheer,  and  him 
self  and  officers  by  her  gracious  hospitality,  till  the 
Americans  had  crossed  the  island  and  were  safely  in 
trenched  on  Harlem  Heights. 

The  American  army  was  now  obliged  to  leave  New 
York,  and  Washington  wrote  to  Governor  Turnbull 
that  the  Provincial  Congress  had  resolved  not  to  in 
jure  the  city ;  but  a  fire  broke  out,  no  one  knew  how 
it  originated,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  city  was  de 
stroyed.  This  fire  consumed  the  Huguenot  church. 

In  this  year  Captain  Nathan  Hale  was  arrested  by 
the  British,  who  now  held  the  city,  and  was  executed 
in  the  orchard  belonging  to  the  family  of  Scott's  wife, 
Helena  Rutger.  It  took  place  on  what  is  now  East 
Broadway,  a  little  above  Franklin  Square. 

On  the  fourth  of  June,  1777,  the  New  York  con 
vention  met  at  Windsor ;  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
grant  known  as  New  Connecticut  elected  some  depu- 

1  Mother  of  Lindley  Murray,  the  grammarian. 

[TOO] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

ties  to  "  sitt "  at  the  said  convention,  at  which  it  was 
declared  that  the  grant  should  thenceforth  be  known 
as  an  independent  State,  and  be  called  Vermont.  A 
certain  Williams,  writing  to  the  Secretary  of  the  New 
York  convention,  mentions  the  affair,  and  says  in  re 
gard  to  the  pending  election  for  Governor :  — 

I  believe  we  have  been  pretty  unanimous  in  the  Election 
for  governor  and  Lieutenant  Governor,  to  witt,  Genj  Morin 
Scott  &  Clinton  *  but  there  were  very  few  that  voted.  The 
Lott  number  68  inArgyle  belonging  to  Gen|  Scott,  I  must 
beg  you  '11  procure  for  me  in  behalf  of  Cap"  Martin,  I  'm 
informed  som  other  people  are  after  it.  However  I  am  of 
opinion  Gen1  Scott  will  not  Lett  any  one  have  it  without 
giving  Cap*  Martin  the  refusal. 

I  am  dear  Sir  your  very  Hum1  Serv* 

JOHN  WiLLiAMS.2 

Morin  Scott's  name  appears  in  the  State  Senate 
from  the  year  1777  to  1782;  as  a  member  of  Con 
gress  from  the  year  1779  to  I7^i  ;  as  member  of 
the  Continental  Congress,  1782-1783  ;  as  Secretary 
of  State  of  New  York  from  1778  to  1789;  and  as 
member  of  Congress,  1780-1783. 

After  the  battle  of  White  Plains  the  Americans 
were  driven  from  position  after  position,  and  finally 
through  the  Jerseys  to  Princeton,  Trenton,  and  into 
Pennsylvania.  Then  came  the  battle  of  Princeton, 
after  which  the  greater  part  of  New  Jersey  was  re 
covered  by  the  patriots.  War  was  raging  all  around 
the  old  homestead,  and  while  our  modern  Telemachus 
was  enjoying  his  life  of  dolce  far  niente  in  the  isles 
of  the  Atlantic,  the  courageous  Penelope  was  guard 
ing  the  lares  and  penates  of  her  hearthstone. 

On  the  twenty-third  of  July  Howe  sailed  from  New 

1  Clinton  was  nominee  for  Governor  and  Scott  for  Lieutenant-Gover- 
nor,  although  from  the  letter  it  would  appear  <vice  versa. 

2  Doc.  Hist. 

[101} 


Philip  Freneau 


York  to  attack  Philadelphia,  then  the  seat  of  the  Con 
tinental  Congress,  and  succeeded  in  reducing  it  by  the 
twenty-sixth  of  September.  Then  came  the  defeat  of 
Germantown  and  the  long  and  dreary  winter  at  Valley 
Forge,  and  at  the  close  of  1777  the  patriot  cause 
was  nearly  ended.  Then  came  the  treaty  with  France, 
and  D'Estaing's  fleet  approached  the  capital,  and  on 
the  eighteenth  of  June,  1778,  Howe's  army  evacuated 
Philadelphia  and  retreated  across  New  Jersey.  At 
Monmouth  the  British  were  overtaken. 

Sunday  the  twenty-eighth  was  an  intensely  hot  day. 
Clinton  was  moving  cautiously  and  Knyphausen  was 
hastening  forward  on  the  Middletown  road;  the  left 
wing,  following,  had  passed  a  mile  or  more  beyond  the 
Court  House.  On  the  north,  outflanking  the  British, 
were  the  American  columns.  Lee  advanced  from 
the  old  Monmouth  church  by  the  main  road,  crossing 
two  deep  ravines  upon  causeways  ;  his  left  wing  was 
folding  around  Cornwallis  on  the  north,  occupying 
superior  ground ;  his  centre,  under  Wayne,  was  close 
behind;  and  his  right  wing,  under  Lafayette,  was 
already  past  the  Court  House,  threatening  the  other 
end  of  the  British  lines,  whose  position  was  one 
of  extreme  danger,  and  there  was  every  prospect  of 
a  glorious  victory  for  the  American  army.  Wayne 
had  just  begun  a  vigorous  attack,  but  a  halt  was 
ordered  by  Lee.  The  British  troops  came  down  the 
road  to  separate  Wayne  and  Lafayette;  but  it  was 
an  easy  matter  to  check  them,  and  the  Marquis 
started  to  do  so,  but  a  halt  was  again  ordered  by 
Lee,  who  commanded,  instead,  a  retreat  across  a 
marshy  ravine.  On  the  verge  of  a  victory  they  were 
compelled  to  flee,  but  from  what  no  one  knew ;  and 
bitter  disappointment  took  the  place  of  their  exultant 
ardor  of  the  morning.  The  enemy  began  to  pursue 
them,  and  as  they  crowded  over  the  causeway  the 
ranks  began  to  fall  into  disorder  and  many  sank 

[102] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

exhausted  by  the  heat,  and  some  were  slain  by  the 
enemy.  The  Marquis  ordered  an  aid  to  seek  the 
Commander-in-Chief  and  report  the  strange  conduct 
of  Lee.  The  soldier  met  him  just  where  the  road 
forks  not  far  from  the  old  Monmouth  church  and 
delivered  his  message.  Washington  hastily  sprang 
to  his  horse  and  soon  found  himself  in  the  midst 
of  the  disorder.  A  halt  was  ordered,  and  the  retreat 
ing  soldiers  immediately  wheeled  and  formed  under 
the  firing  with  as  much  calmness  and  precision  as 
they  could  have  shown  on  parade.  And  while  they 
stopped  the  evening's  progress  Washington  rode  back 
and  brought  up  the  main  body  of  his  army,  —  Greene 
with  his  battery  from  the  heights,  and  Wayne  from 
the  front ;  and  the  British  were  driven  back  upon 
the  second  ravine  which  Lee  had  crossed  in  the 
morning's  advance.  The  gallant  Steuben  brought 
up  from  the  rear,  and  night  fell.  Morning  found 
the  British  troops  withdrawn,  and  America  claimed 
a  victory.  Lord  Stanhope  saw  a  drawn  battle.1 

This  battle  of  Monmouth  was  partly  fought  on 
the  land  which  fell  to  Philip's  wife  as  her  portion, 
and  on  which  they  resided  after  the  flames  had  de 
stroyed  their  residence  at  Mount  Pleasant,  from  which 
the  battle  could  be  easily  heard  at  the  time,  and  in 
which  were  assembled  his  mother  and  her  little  family 
—  all  but  Philip. 

1  Gen.  John  Morin  Scott  took  part  in  this  battle,  also  Gen.  David 
Forman. 


Chapter  Seventh 


NEWS  travelled  slowly  in  the  days  of  our  an 
cestors,  and  for  several  reasons  that  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  was  delayed 
in  reaching  Philip.  First,  the  distance  was  great,  the 
nearest  point  of  land  being  Cape  Hatteras,  some  six 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  distant ;  but  on  account  of  the 
war  between  Great  Britain,  to  whom  the  Bermudas 
belonged,  and  the  colonies,  no  American  ship  landed 
in  her  ports,  and  the  trading  vessels  were  few  and  far 
between.  When  at  last  the  word,  so  delightful  to 
Philip's  ears,  reached  him,  that  the  colonies  had  really 
declared  themselves  free,  he  quickly  roused  himself 
from  the  poetic  languor  that  had  taken  possession  of 
him,  and  embraced  the  first  opportunity  that  presented 
of  returning  to  his  native  land.  The  voyage  was 
roundabout,  and  consumed  considerable  time;  conse 
quently  he  did  not  reach  home  until  after  the  battle 
that  had  been  fought  so  close  to  his  doors. 

The  fate  of  the  "  amiable  Amanda  "  we  have  never 
learned.  Whether,  like  Sappho,  she  took  a  fatal  leap 
from  the  heights  of  one  of  the  Bermuda  peaks,  or, 
like  a  sensible  woman  of  the  eighteenth  century,  bade 
her  poet  good-bye,  with  a  promise  to  remember  him 
in  her  orisons,  is  unknown  ;  and,  as  Philip's  sonnets 
ceased  to  flow,  her  fate  is  buried  in  oblivion. 

Upon  arriving  in  his  native  land  Philip  probably 
paid  his  respects  to  his  mother.  It  is  most  likely,  and 
then  he  buckled  on  his  sword  in  his  country's  cause. 
This  phrase  is  certainly  figurative,  for  Philip  could 
never  buckle  himself  into  anything  that  looked  like 
a  harness ;  but  he  did  what  lay  in  his  power,  he 

[104] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

took  out  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal  from  the 
Continental  Congress,  and  sailed  far  out  on  the  deep 
blue  sea  to  catch  all  the  British  ships  he  could  find. 
We  learn  from  the  public  print  that  he  played  sad 
havoc  with  the  English  merchantmen,  capturing  and 
destroying  many. 

But  after  a  time  poor  Philip  came  to  grief,  and  the 
way  it  happened  runneth  thus. 

Whether  he  had  purchased  the  ship  he  commanded 
or  only  used  it  for  the  time  being  we  know  not,  but 
we  do  know  that  he  had  one  building  in  the  Philadel 
phia  yards,  which  was  his  own,  his  very  own  —  the 
dream  of  his  life.  Philadelphia  was  famous  in  those 
days  for  her  shipbuilding  capabilities ;  her  harbor 
favoring  it,  she  could  easily  bring  from  the  Southern 
and  New  England  States  the  best  of  woods  for  the 
purpose ;  and  we  are  told  that  at  one  time  might  be 
seen  some  twenty  ships  in  her  stocks  in  progress  of 
construction.  Those  she  turned  out  were  swift  sailers, 
highly  finished,  and  even  considerably  ornamented; 
so  much  so,  indeed,  that  her  figure-heads  were  praised 
by  foreign  artists.  In  fact  the  colonies  had  developed 
such  talent  in  naval  architecture  that  many  of  the  Eng 
lish  trading  vessels  were  built  in  their  yards.1 

Although  Philip's  description  of  the  building  of  his 
ship  may  not  equal  that  of  Schiller's,  it  may  bear 
criticism :  — 

u  Assist  me,  Clio !   while  in  verse  I  tell 
The  dire  misfortunes  that  a  ship  befell, 
Which  outward  bound,  to  St.  Eustatia's  shore, 
Death  and  disaster  through  the  billows  bore. 
From  Philadelphia's  happy  port  she  came ; 
(And  there  the  builder  plann'd  her  lofty  frame,) 
With  wonderous  skill,  and  excellence  of  art 
He  form'd,  disposed  and  order'd  every  part, 
With  joy,  beheld  the  stately  fabric  rise 

1  Mr.  Eggleston,  in  The  Century  Magazine. 

[.  '05  ] 


Philip  Freneau 


To  a  stout  bulwark,  of  stupendous  size, 
'Till  launched  at  last,  capacious  of  the  freight, 
He  left  her  to  the  pilots,  and  her  fate. 
First,  from  her  depths  the  tapering  masts  ascend, 
On  whose  tall  bulk  the  transverse  yards  depend, 
By  shrouds  and  stays  secur'd  from  side  to  side 
Trees  grew  on  trees,  suspended  o'er  the  tide : 
Firm  to  the  yards  extended,  broad  and  vast, 
They  hung  the  sails,  susceptive  of  the  blast, 
Far  o'er  the  prow  the  lengthy  bowsprit  lay, 
Supporting  on  the  extreme  the  taut  fore-stay, 
Twice  ten  six  pounder,  at  their  port  holes  plac'd, 
And  rang'd  in  rows,  stood  hostile  in  the  waist  : 
Thus  all  prepar'd,  impatient  for  the  seas, 
She  left  her  station  with  an  adverse  breeze, 
This  her  first  outset  from  her  native  shore, 
To  seas  a  stranger,  and  untry'd  before." 

The  ship  finished,  Philip  named  her  "  The  Au 
rora,"  and  on  her  broad  prow  she  carried  for  a  figure 
head  the  rising  sun,  so  brightly  gilded  as,  quoting  his 
words,  to  "  throw  over  the  water  a  mimic  blaze." 
Poor  sun,  destined  to  set  before  it  ran  its  course  ! 

Delaware  Bay,  although  admitting  the  largest  vessels 
to  its  head,  and  even  into  the  river  beyond,  had  a  very 
tortuous  and  intricate  channel,  occasioned  by  the  nu 
merous  shoals  formed  by  long,  narrow  sandbanks 
stretching  northwest  and  southeast,  which  nearly  filled 
the  central  portion.  It  was  therefore  something  of  a  feat 
to  guide  a  good-sized  vessel  through  it  and  round  the 
cape,  —  the  shelving  ground  around  the  latter  causing 
it  to  be  fatal  to  those  unacquainted  with  its  peculiarities. 
It  was  renowned  for  shipwrecks  ;  so  much  so  that 
captains  felt  greatly  relieved  when  they  had  safely  left 
it  behind  them. 

On  the  2fth  of  May  the  "  Aurora,"  "  daughter  ot 
the  sun,"  with  all  sails  spread  to  catch  the  breeze,  which 
at  starting  was  adverse,  passed  gaily  down  the  river,  and 

{106} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

through  the  sixty  miles  of  Delaware  Bay,  and  waited  for 
morning  to  round  the  point  called  by  the  old  Swede 
settlers  the  "  Point  of  Paradise,"  by  the  more  prosaic 
modern  Americans,  Cape  Henlopen.  During  her  prog 
ress  down  the  bay  an  event  occurred  which  was  con 
sidered  by  the  crew  a  prognostic  of  future  success,  but 
which  was,  in  reality,  the  cause  of  the  "  Aurora's  "  dis 
aster.  Overtaking  a  small  sloop  belonging  to  the 
enemy  and  laden  with  corn,  the  details  incident  to  its 
capture  prevented  the  "  Aurora  "  from  rounding  the 
point  the  same  evening,  and  thus  caused  the  delay  so 
fatal  to  her. 

The  morning  was  beautiful ;  and,  assisted  by  a 
favorable  breeze,  the  cape  was  successfully  passed,  and 
the  "  Aurora "  made  her  debut  on  the  broad  ocean, 
where  "  a  sea  unruffled  and  a  sky  serene  "  awaited  her- 
All  seemed  propitious  ;  and  spreading  the  sails,  her 
prow  was  turned  eastward,  then  to  the  southeast. 

The  sun  crossed  the  meridian,  and  a  gale  springing 
up  it  bore  the  light-hearted  master  and  crew  out  of  the 
sight  of  the  misty  line  of  hilltops,  which  seemed  to  sink 
beneath  the  waves.  Toward  afternoon,  a  seaman  was 
ordered  to  go  aloft,  to  see  peradventure  if  any  prey,  in 
the  form  of  an  English  merchantman,  might  be  in 
sight. 

The  tar  returned  and  reported  a  ship  approaching 
very  rapidly  from  the  east;  which  soon  became  visible 
to  all.  The  master  used  his  glass,  and  from  her  top 
gallant  spied  the  English  Jack ;  and  soon  after  he  rec 
ognized  her  to  be  the  "  Iris,"  once  the  "  Hancock,"  one 
of  the  swiftest  ships  on  the  American  station,  and  one 
that  had  made  the  fortunes  of  every  one  that  had  ever 
commanded  her  save  the  last; 1  he  had  lost  her  in  con 
sequence  of  having  put  her  out  of  trim,  by  starting  her 
water  while  chased  by  the  "  Rainbow,"  commanded  by 
Sir  George  Collier,  who  finally  captured  her. 

1  Captain  Manly. 

[so?] 


Philip  Freneau 


u  Her  lofty  masts  stood  bending  to  the  gale, 
Close  to  the  wind  was  brac'd  each  shivering  sail  j 
Her  spangled  bottom  seem'd  in  flames  to  glow. 

With  all  her  might  she  strove  to  gain  our  tack, 

Nor  strove  in  vain  —  with  pride  and  power  elate, 

Wing'd  on  by  winds,  she  drove  us  to  our  fate. 

No  stop,  no  stay  her  bloody  crew  intends. 

So  flies  a  comet  with  its  host  of  fiends, 

Nor  oaths,  nor  prayers  arrest  her  swift  career,  • 

Death  in  her  front,  and  ruin  in  her  rear." 

Knowing  the  futility  of  attempting  to  hold  their  own 
against  such  odds,  —  the  vessel  carrying  guns  double 
the  size  of  theirs,  —  the  officer  gave  orders  to  change 
the  course  of  the  "  Aurora  "  and  steer  for  the  land,  their 
only  safety  lying  in  flight. 

u  Struck  at  the  sight,  the  master  gave  command 
To  change  our  course,  and  steer  toward  the  land  — 
Straight  to  the  task  the  ready  sailors  run, 
And  while  the  word  was  utter'd,  half  was  done ; 
As,  from  the  south,  the  fiercer  breezes  rise 
Swift  from  her  foe  alarm'd  Aurora  flies, 
With  every  sail  extended  to  the  wind 
She  fled  the  unequal  foe  that  chas'd  behind. 
Along  her  decks,  disposed  in  close  array, 
Each  at  its  port,  the  grim  artillery  lay, 
Soon  on  the  foe  with  brazen  throat  to  roar ; 
But,  small  their  size,  and  narrow  was  their  bore ; 
Yet,  faithful,  they  their  destin'd  station  keep 
To  guard  the  barque  that  wafts  them  o'er  the  deep, 
Who  now  must  bend  to  steer  a  homeward  course 
And  trust  her  swiftness  rather  than  her  force, 
Unfit  to  combat  with  a  powerful  foe,  — 
Her  decks  too  open  and  her  waist  too  low." 

Land  appears,  most  welcome  sight !  The  Point  of 
Paradise  looms  up  before  them ;  but  near  and  nearer 
presses  on  the  foe,  intent  upon  the  "Aurora's" 

[**] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

ruin.  Listen  to  the  boatswain's  prayer  —  it,  like 
most  such  prayers,  fell  back  upon  the  head  of  its 
maker :  — 


u  List,  all  ye  powers  that  rule  the  skies  and  seas ! 
Shower  down  perdition  on  such  thieves  as  these, 
Winds,  daunt  their  hearts  with  terror  and  dismay, 
And  sprinkle  on  their  powder  salt  sea  spray! 
May  bursting  cannon,  while  his  aim  he  tries, 
Distract  the  gunner,  and  confound  his  eyes  —    . 
May  they  who  rule  the  round-top's  giddy  height 
Be  canted  headlong  to  perpetual  night ; 
May  fiends  torment  them  on  a  leeward  coast, 
And  help  forsake  them  when  they  want  it  most." 

Freneau,  in  his  poem  entitled  "  The  Prison  Ship,'* 
from  which  we  have  been  quoting,  beautifully  com 
pares  the  flight  of  the  "  Aurora,"  and  the  pursuit  of  the 
"  Iris,"  to  the  flight  of  Hector  pursued  by  Achilles 
round  the  walls  of  Troy  :  — 

"  The  Frigate,  now,  had  every  sail  unfurl'd, 
And  rush'd  tremendous  o'er  the  watery  world ; 
Thus  fierce  Pelides,  eager  to  destroy, 
Chas'd  the  proud  Trojan  to  the  gates  of  Troy  — 
Swift  o'er  the  wave  while,  hostile,  they  pursue, 
As  swiftly  from  their  fangs  Aurora  flew." 

The  Point  of  Paradise  gained,  all  efforts  to  take  the 
ill-fated  vessel  ashore  were  vain  ;  a  sudden  calm  caused 
the  sails  to  droop.  Meanwhile  the  foe  had  advanced 
within  range  of  shot,  and  pointed  her  guns. 

"  Rang'd  her  black  cannon,  pointed  on  our  lee, 
Then  up  she  luff'd,  and  blaz'd  her  entrails  dire, 
Bearing  destruction,  terror,  death  and  fire. 
Vext  at  our  fate,  we  prim'd  a  piece,  and  then 
Return'd  the  shot,  to  show  them  we  were  men." 


Philip  Freneau 


Night  fell  ;  even  the  shoals  in  this  sad  extremity 
would  have  been  a  welcome  risk,  but  — 

u  Fate  stood  between,  and  barr'd  us  from  the  land." 

Already  becalmed  and  helpless,  the  ebbing  current 
bore  the  doomed  "  Aurora "  into  the  power  of  her 
enemy,  who  — 

"  Flash'd  her  red  lightnings  o'er  the  trembling  flood." 
At  every  flash  untold  mischief  ensued,  and  — 

"  Mad  for  revenge,  our  breasts  with  fury  glow 
To  wreak  returns  of  vengeance  on  the  foe ; 
Full  at  his  hull  our  pointed  guns  we  rais'd, 
His  hull  resounded  as  the  cannon  blaz'd ; 
Through  his  broad  sails  while  some  a  passage  tore, 
His  sides  re-echo'd  to  the  dreadful  roar, 
Alternate  fires  dispell'd  the  shades  of  night  — 
But  how  unequal  was  this  daring  fight!  " 

While  shouting  defiance  to  the  foe,  Laboyteaux,  the 
captain  of  the  marines,  fell  staining  the  deck  with  his 
heart's  blood.  Another  blast  tore  the  shrouds,  stays, 
and  braces  away  ;  while  through  the  air  flew  the  frag 
ments  of  sails,  blocks,  and  oars,  and  the"  Aurora"  shook 
from  stem  to  stern.  The  elements  seemed  to  vie  with 
each  other  in  working  the  doom  of  the  ill-fated  vessel  ; 
earth  receded  from  her  grasp ;  and  the  wind,  rising, 
filled  the  sails  of  the  "  Iris  "  and  blew  it  close  and  closer 
upon  her  prey  ;  the  fire  tore  open  her  sides,  into  whose 
wounds  the  water  gurgled  to  complete  the  work  of 
destruction ;  and  slowly  the  doomed  vessel  began  to 
sink,  and  there  was  naught  left  but  to  submit  or  die. 

"'Twas  then  the  Master  trembled  for  his  crew, 
And  bade  thy  shores,  O  Delaware,  adieu  !  — 
And  must  we  yield  to  yon'  destructive  ball, 
And  must  our  colors  to  these  ruffians  fall !  — 

[w] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

They  fall !  — his  thunders  forc'd  our  strength  to  bend, 
The  lofty  topsails  with  their  yards  descend, 
And  the  proud  foe,  such  leagues  of  ocean  passM, 
His  wish  completed  in  our  woe  at  last." 

According  to  Freneau's  log-book  it  would  seem 
that  on  this  voyage  he  was  merely  a  passenger,  and 
bore  no  active  part  in  the  ship's  management.  As 
this  account  has  been  given  to  the  public  by  Mr. 
Weymer  Jay  Mills *  great-grandnephew  of  Agnes  Fre 
neau's  husband,  we  give  the  account  of  the  capture  as 
found  in  Freneau's  poem,  "  The  Prison  Ship."  In 
the  log-book  Freneau  states  that  when  first  pursued  by 
the  cc  Iris"  his  advice  to  the  officers  had  been  to  stand 
for  Egg  Harbor  or  any  part  of  the  Jersey  shore,  and 
to  run  the  ship  upon  the  flats  rather  than  allow  it  to 
be  taken.  Why  his  advice  was  not  followed,  or  why  he 
was  only  a  passenger  on  his  own  ship,  it  does  not  appear. 

Let  the  reader  imagine  for  himself  the  sentiments 
with  which  the  freedom-loving  Freneau  passed  from 
the  deck  of  the  "  Aurora"  to  that  of  the  victor,  and 
those  with  which  he  watched  the  waters  closing  over 
the  wreckage  of  his  ship,  —  for  that  which  was  left  of 
her  was  but  the  ghost  of  her  former  self,  —  until  the 
darkness  covered  all  things  with  its  pall. 

Owners  of  fair  ships  have  expressed  their  love  for 
them  as  greater  far  than  for  anything  on  land  ;  and  the 
£C  Aurora  "  was  his  very  own,  the  creation  of  his  love, 
which  he  had  dreamed  of  day  by  day  as  she  grew  into 
her  fair  proportions ;  whose  birth  he  had  sung,  and  to 
whom  finally  he  had  confided  his  life  and  fortunes. 
Too  late  he  regretted,  for  his  own  part,  that  he  had  not 
chosen  death  when  it  could  honorably  have  been 
courted. 

In  passing  through  the  lower  bay  in  his  transfer  to 
New  York,  Freneau  gazed  across  the  waters  and  de- 

1  Revolutionary  Americana,  published  by  Wessels  &  Co. 


Philip  Freneau 


scried  in  the  distance  the  crest  of  the  old  hill  from 
whose  heights,  as  a  child,  he  had  so  oftentimes 
watched  the  white-sailed  vessels  flitting  to  and  fro, 
and  longed  so  ardently  to  be  in  one  of  them  ;  and  was 
it  thus  his  desires  had  been  fulfilled  ?  In  one  he  was  in 
deed  ;  but  the  shackles  of  the  captive  were  weighing  on 
his  hands  and  feet,  and  these  he  had  not  longed  for. 

Arrived  at  the  port  of  New  York,  then  in  the  hands 
of  the  British,  he  was  condemned  to  breathe  the  foul, 
infected  air  of  the  sickly  hulks  which  Were  moored 
within  sight  of  the  very  residence  in  which,  in  former 
years,  his  ancestor  had  resided,  and  in  which  his 
father  had  been  born.  Imagine  all  this  and  then 
blame  him  if  you  can  for  that  spirit  of  acrimony  that 
many  perhaps  have  wondered  at,  thinking  it  far  ex 
ceeded  its  cause. 

An  exile  from  the  land  of  his  fathers  through  the 
merciless  tyranny  of  one  monarch,  and  in  fetters  by 
that  of  another,  is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  in  after 
years  he  fought  so  strenuously  against  all  tendency  to 
a  monarchical  form  of  government,  or  the  least  thing 
that  savored  of  it? 

The  "Scorpion/'  the  hulk  in  which  he  was  confined, 
was  one  of  the  old  transport  vessels  in  which  the 
British  troops  had  been  brought  to  the  city.  It 
was  moored  at  first  off  the  Battery,  along  with  the 
"Jersey,"  a  sixty-four-gun  ship  formerly  employed  as 
a  store  ship,  the  "  Hunter,"  and  others,  and  after 
wards  taken  to  Wallabout  Bay,  on  the  Long  Island 
shore.  These  vessels  were  all  unseaworthy  and  had 
been  dismantled. 

"  No  masts  or  sails  these  crowded  ships  adorn, 
Dismal  to  view,  neglected  and  forlorn. 

From  morn  to  eve  along  the  decks  we  lay 
Scorch'd  into  fevers  by  the  solar  ray ; 
[II 2} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

No  friendly  awning  cast  a  welcome  shade, 
Once  it  was  promised,  and  was  never  made ; 
No  favours  could  these  sons  of  death  bestow, 
'T  was  endless  vengeance,  and  unceasing  woe." 

As  Freneau  has  described  the  treatment  of  the 
captives  on  the  prison  ships  in  the  poem  mentioned 
above,  we  will  quote  a  few  portions  of  it  relative  to 
his  sufferings  while  on  board  the  "Scorpion,"  and  the 
"  Hunter,"  the  hospital  ship,  to  which  he  was  after 
wards  taken.  It  is  an  admitted  fact  that  the  sailors 
captured  by  the  British  during  the  war  suffered 
even  more  than  the  soldiers  who  fell  into  their 
hands,  if  such  a  thing  were  possible.  They  were 
crowded  together  so  closely,  and  their  accommodations 
were  so  wretched,  that  diseases  broke  out  and  swept 
them  off  in  such  numbers  as  to  arouse  compassion 
in  hearts  the  least  sensible  to  woe.1 

It  has  been  asserted  that,  as  near  as  could  be  esti 
mated,  in  the  last  six  years  of  the  war  more  than 
eleven  thousand  captives  died  on  board  the  "  Jersey  " 
alone.  Besides  the  three  ships  already  mentioned, 
there  were  the  "  Provost,"  the  "  Strombolo,"  and  the 
"  Good  Hope."  The  prisoners  on  the  latter  set  fire  to 
it,  hoping  to  gain  their  freedom  in  that  way,  preferring 
to  meet  a  speedy  death  in  the  dark  waters  rather 
than  a  lingering  one  in  its  hold  ;  but  the  chief  incen 
diaries  were  removed  to  the  "  Provost,"  and  the  others 
to  the  "Jersey."  The  latter,  being  freed  from  her  living 
freight  at  the  close  of  the  war,  was  shunned  as  a  nest 
of  pestilence.  The  worms  destroyed  her  already  half- 

1  "  Thus  wrote  JohnMorin  Scott,  an  illustrious  statesman  and  soldier 
of  those  days  :  — 

'  Let  the  dark  Scorpion's  hull  narrate 

The  dismal  tale  of  English  hate  ; 

Her  horrid  tales  let  Jersey  tell, 

And  mock  the  shades  where  demons  dwell, 

Their  shriek  of  pain  and  dying  groan 

Unheeded  fell  on  hearts  of  stone.'  " 


Philip  Freneau 


decayed  bottom,  and  she  sank,  bearing  inscribed  on 
her  planks  the  names  of  thousands  of  American  pris 
oners.  For  more  than  twenty  years  the  ebbing  tide 
exposed  her  bare  ribs,  but  this  evidence  of  British  bar 
barity  was  at  length  buried  beneath  the  United  States 
navy  yard.1  The  precise  number  of  deaths  that  oc 
curred  from  ill  treatment  and  starvation  on  these 
hulks  will  never  be  known  till  the  day  of  doom. 
Many  of  these  victims  never  had  the  rites  of  sepulture  ; 
and  others  were  so  imperfectly  covered  that  for  some 
time  after  the  war  their  bones  were  found  uncovered 
on  the  shores  of  Long  Island. 

To  return  to  Freneau's  description  :  — 

"  Thou,  Scorpion,  fatal  to  thy  crowded  throng, 
Dire  theme  of  horror  and  Plutonian  song, 
Requir'st  my  lay  —  thy  sultry  decks  I  know, 
And  all  the  torments  that  exist  below ! 
The  briny  wave  that  Hudson's  bosom  fills 
Drain'd  through  her  bottom  in  a  thousand  rills : 
Rotten  and  old,  replete  with  sighs  and  groans, 
Scarce  on  the  waters  she  sustain'd  her  bones ; 
Here,  doom'd  to  toil,  or  founder  in  the  tide, 
At  the  moist  pumps  incessantly  we  ply'd, 
Here,  doom'd  to  starve,  like  famish'd  dogs,  we  tore 
The  scant  allowance  that  our  tyrants  bore. 

When  to  the  ocean  sinks  the  western  sun, 
And  the  scorch'd  Tories  fire  their  evening  gun, 
c  Down,  rebels,  down  !  '  the  angry  Scotchmen  cry, 
'Base  dogs,  descend,  or  by  our  broad  swords  die  !  * 
Hail,  dark  abode  !  what  can  with  thee  compare  ?  — 
Heat,  sickness,  famine,  death,  and  stagnant  air  — 
Swift  from  the  guarded  decks  we  rush'd  along, 
And  vainly  sought  repose,  so  vast  our  throng ; 
Four  hundred  wretches  here,  denied  all  light, 
In  crowded  mansions  pass  the  infernal  night, 

i  History  of  New  York,  by  Miss  Booth. 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Some  for  a  bed  their  tatter'd  vestments  join, 
And  some  on  chests,  and  some  on  floors  recline ; 
Shut  from  the  blessings  of  the  evening  air 
Pensive  we  lay  with  mingled  corpses  there, 
Meagre  and  wan,  and  scorch'd  with  heat  below, 
We  look'd  like  ghosts,  ere  death  had  made  us  so  — 
How  could  we  else,  where  heat  and  hunger  joined, 
Thus  to  debase  the  body  and  the  mind,  — 
No  waters  laded  from  the  bubbling  spring 
To  these  dire  ships  these  little  tyrants  bring  — 
By  planks  and  ponderous  beams  completely  walFd 
In  vain  for  water  and  in  vain  we  call'd  — 
No  drop  was  granted  to  the  midnight  prayer, 
To  rebels  in  these  regions  of  despair !  — 
The  loathsome  cask  a  deadly  dose  contains, 
Its  poison  circling  through  the  languid  veins. 

Sweet  morn  dispell'd  the  horrors  of  the  shade; 
On  every  side  dire  objects  met  the  sight, 
And  pallid  forms,  and  murders  of  the  night, — 
The  dead  were  past  their  pain,  the  living  groan, 
Nor  dare  to  hope  another  morn  their  own; 
But  what  to  them  is  morn's  delightful  ray  ? 
Sad  and  distrestful  as  the  close  of  day ; 
O'er  distant  streams  appears  the  dewy  green, 
And  leafy  trees  on  mountain  tops  are  seen, 
But  they  no  groves  nor  grassy  mountains  tread 
Mark'd  for  a  longer  journey  to  the  dead." 

The  freedom-loving  and  freedom-craving  spirit  of 
Freneau,  like  the  caged  eagle,  vainly  beat  its  wings 
against  the  bars  of  its  cage ;  and  what  wonder  that  it 
finally  succumbed  to  the  horrors  of  his  situation, 
and  that  he  was  borne  in  a  half-dying  condition  from 
that  infected  hulk  to  the  even  more  loathsome  one 
of  the  hospital  ship,  the  "  Hunter  "  ? 

"  Joyful  we  left  the  Scorpion's  dire  abode  ; 
Some  tears  we  shed  for  the  remaining  crew, 
Then  curs'd  the  hulk,  and  from  her  sides  withdrew." 


Philip  Freneau 

THE  HOSPITAL  PRISON  SHIP. 

u  Now  tow'rds  the  Hunter's  gloomy  decks  we  came, 
A  slaughter-house,  yet  hospital  in  name ; 
We  were  so  pale  !  —  that  we  were  thought  by  some 
A  freight  of  ghosts,  from  death's  dominions  come  — 
Down  to  the  gloom  we  took  our  pensive  way, 
Along  the  decks  the  dying  captives  lay  ; 
Some  struck  with  madness,  some  with  scurvy  pain'd, 
But  still  of  putrid  fevers  most  complain'd ! 
On  the  hard  floors  these  wasted  objects  laid,    -  ' 
There  toss'd  and  tumbled  in  the  dismal  shade, 
There  no  soft  voice  their  bitter  fate  bemoan'd, 
And  death  trode  stately,  while  the  victims  groan'd  ; 
Of  leaky  decks  I  heard  them  long  complain, 
Drown'd  as  they  were  in  deluges  of  rain, 
Deny'd  the  comforts  of  a  dying  bed, 
And  not  a  pillow  to  support  the  head  — 
How  could  they  else  but  pine,  and  grieve,  and  sigh, 
Detest  a  wretched  life  —  and  wish  to  die  ? 
Scarce  had  I  mingled  with  this  dismal  band 
When  a  thin  victim  seiz'd  me  by  the  hand  — 
c  And  art  thou  come/  (death  heavy  on  his  eyes) 
c  And  art  thou  come  to  these  abodes  ? '  he  cries. 
'  Why  didst  thou  leave  the  Scorpion's  dark  retreat, 
And  hither  haste,  a  surer  death  to  meet  ? 
Why  didst  thou  leave  thy  damp  infected  cell  ?  — 
If  that  was  purgatory,  this  is  hell.' 

From  Brooklyn  heights  a  Hessian  doctor  came, 
Not  great  his  skill,  nor  greater  much  his  fame  ; 
Fair  Science  never  calPd  the  wretch  her  son, 
And  Art  disdain'd  the  stupid  man  to  own  ;  — 
Can  you  admire  that  Science  was  so  coy, 
Or  Art  refus'd  his  genius  to  employ  ?  — 
Do  men  with  brutes  an  equal  dullness  share, 
Or  cuts  yon  grovelling  mole  the  midway  air  ? 
In  polar  worlds  can  Eden's  blossoms  blow  ? 
Do  trees  of  God  in  barren  deserts  grow  ? 
Are  loaded  vines  to  Etna's  summit  known, 
Or  swells  the  peach  beneath  the  frozen  zone  ? 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

He  on  his  charge  the  healing  work  begun 

With  antimonial  mixtures  by  the  tun, 

Ten  minutes  was  the  time  he  deign'd  to  stay, 

The  time  of  grace  allotted  once  a  day.  — 

He  drench'd  us  well  with  bitter  draughts,  't  is  true, 

Nostrums  from  hell,  and  cortex  from  Peru  — 

Some  with  his  pills  he  sent  to  Pluto's  reign, 

And  some  he  blister'd  with  his  flies  of  Spain ; 

And  Tartar  doses  walk'd  their  deadly  round. 

Here,  uncontrouPd,  he  exercis'd  his  trade, 
And  grew  experienc'd  by  the  deaths  he  made, 
By  frequent  blows  we  from  his  cane  endur'd 
He  kill'd  at  least  as  many  as  he  cur'd, 
On  our  lost  comrades  built  his  future  fame, 
And  scatter'd  fate  where'er  his  footsteps  came. 
Knave  though  he  was,  yet  candour  must  confess 
Not  chief  Physician  was  this  man  of  Hesse  — 
One  master  o'er  the  murdering  tribe  was  plac'd, 
By  him  the  rest  were  honour'd  or  disgrac'd  ; 
Once,  and  but  once,  by  some  strange  fortune  led 
He  came  to  see  the  dying  and  the  dead  — 
He  came  —  but  anger  so  deform'd  his  eye, 
And  such  a  faulchion  glitter'd  on  his  thigh, 
And  such  a  gloom  his  visage  darken'd  o'er, 
And  two  such  pistols  in  his  hands  he  bore  ! 
That  by  the  gods  !  —  with  such  a  load  of  steel, 
He  came,  we  thought,  to  murder,  not  to  heal  — 
All  were  astonish'd  at  the  oaths  he  swore ; 
He  swore  till  every  prisoner  stood  aghast, 
And  thought  him  Satan  in  a  brimstone  blast ; 
He  wish'd  us  banish'd  from  the  public  light, 
And  wish'd  us  shrouded  in  perpetual  night  ! 
That  were  he  king,  no  mercy  would  he  show, 
But  drive  all  rebels  to  the  world  below. 

Each  day,  at  least  six  carcasses  we  bore 
And  scratch'd  them  graves  along  the  sandy  shore. 
By  feeble  hands  the  shallow  graves  were  made, 
No  stone,  memorial,  o'er  the  corpses  laid ; 


Philip  Freneau 


In  barren  sands,  and  far  from  home,  they  lie, 
No  friend  to  shed  a  tear,  when  passing  by ; 
O'er  the  mean  tombs  the  insulting  Britons  tread, 
Spurn  at  the  sand,  and  curse  the  rebel  dead. 
When  to  your  arms  these  fatal  islands  fall, 
(For  first,  or  last,  they  must  be  conquer' d  all) 
Americans  !  to  rites  sepulchral  just, 
With  gentlest  footstep  press  this  kindred  dust, 
And  o'er  the  tombs,  if  tombs  can  then  be  found, 
Place  the  green  turf,  and  plant  the  myrtle  round. 
These  all  in  Freedom's  sacred  cause  allied 
For  Freedom  ventur'd  and  for  Freedom  died." 

Sixty  long  days  and  nights  Freneau  passed  between 
the  deck  and  the  hold  of  the  "  Scorpion ; "  how  many 
more  he  remained  in  the  "Hunter,"  we  do  not  know 
exactly ;  but  the  capture  occurred  in  May,  and  he 
was  released  in  July  of  the  same  year,  1780. 

It  had  been  agreed  between  the  British  government 
and  the  United  Colonies  that  all  privateers  sailing 
with  letters  of  marque  should  be  subject  to  the  same 
rules  of  exchange  as  officers  in  the  army.  Boudinot 
had  been  appointed  commissioner  for  the  exchange  of 
prisoners,  and  his  father  and  Andre  Freneau  having 
been  old  friends  as  well  as  compatriots,  he,  as  may  be 
supposed,  lost  no  time  in  setting  Philip  at  liberty. 
Pintard,  Boudinot's  secretary,  was  a  warm  friend  of 
Freneau's,  and  frequently  spoke  of  the  sufferings  of 
his  friend  and  his  fellow-captives.  A  very  romantic 
story  in  regard  to  the  supposed  escape  of  Freneau 
from  the  prison  ship  has  been  published,  but  we  have 
the  reality  of  his  exchange  in  his  own  words :  — 

"On  the  1 2th  of  July,  the  flag  came  alongside 
and  cleared  the  hospital  ship.  But  the  miseries  we 
endured  in  getting  to  Elizabeth  Town  were  many  ; 
those  that  were  very  bad,  of  which  the  proportion  was 
great,  naturally  took  possession  of  the  hold.  No 
prisoner  was  allowed  to  go  in  the  cabin,  so  that  I,  with 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

twenty  or  thirty  others,  was  obliged  to  sleep  out  all 
the  night,  which  was  uncommonly  cold  for  the  season. 
About  ten  next  morning  we  arrived  at  Elizabeth  Town 
Point,  where  we  were  kept  in  the  burning  sun  several 
hours  till  the  Commissary  came  to  discharge  us.  I  was 
afflicted  with  such  pains  in  my  joints  I  could  scarcely 
walk,  and  besides  was  weakened  with  a  raging  fever ; 
nevertheless,  I  walked  the  two  miles  to  Elizabeth 
Town ;  here  I  got  a  passage  on  a  wagon  to  within  a 
mile  of  Crow's  Ferry,  which  I  walked ;  got  a  passage 
over  the  ferry,  and  walked  on  as  far  as  Molly  Bud- 
leigh's,  where  I  stayed  all  night;  next  morning, 
having  breakfasted  on  some  bread  and  milk,  I  set 
homeward ;  when  I  came  to  Obadiah  Budleigh's  cor 
ner,  I  turned  to  the  right  and  came  home  through 
the  woods,  for  fear  of  terrifying  the  neighbors  with 
my  ghastly  looks  had  I  gone  thro  Mount  Pleasant. 
July  14,  1780.  I  forgot  to  mention  that  as  soon  as 
we  came  to  New  York,  and  things  were  a  little  ad 
justed,  Mr.  Chatham,  our  first  mate,  went  on  board 
the"  Aurora  "  and  found  his  desk  with  mine  and  several 
books  open  and  everything  taken  out ;  so  much  for 
English  honor  and  honesty.1  N.  B.  Wrote  a  letter 
by  Hulings  to  Mr.  G.,  but  received  no  answer.  Two 
days  before  I  was  exchanged  got  a  letter  from  Mr. 
G.  offering  me  anything  I  wanted,  pretending  he  did 
not  know  what  ship  I  was  in.  I  returned  him  a  letter 
of  thanks,  letting  him  know  that  if  he  could  get  me  a 
parole  it  would  be  the  greatest  favor  he  could  do  me. 
The  same  day  Mr.  Robins  came  alongside  in  a  small 
boat  with  fish,  offering  me  what  money  I  wanted.  I 
begged  him  to  lay  the  money  out  in  wine,  oranges, 
and  lemons,  and  send  them  to  me.  He  promised  to 
be  alongside  in  three  hours,  but  I  never  saw  him  after- 

1  In  leaving  the  "  Aurora"  Freneau  had  been  assured  by  the  commander 
of  the  "  Iris  "  that  his  personal  effects  would  be  carefully  cared  for  and 
would  be  turned  over  to  him  later  on. 


Philip  Freneau 

ward  ;  in  short  I  met  with  nothing  but  disappointment 
among  this  people,  and  cannot  sufficiently  congratulate 
myself  upon  having  got  from  among  them/* 

Among  some  papers  belonging  to  Freneau's  daugh 
ter,  Mrs.  Agnes  Leadbeater,  was  a  clipping  from  a 
newspaper  yellow  with  age  ;  it  bore  no  date  and  read 
as  follows :  "  At  Big  Flats,  Steuben  Co.,  N.  Y.,  the 
4th  inst.,  Hon.  Wm.  Steele,  aet.  ninety-five  years. 
Mr.  Steele  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and 
took  an  active  part  in  the  revolutionary  struggle.  In 
the  spring  of  1780  he  sailed  from  Philadelphia  on  board 
the  'Aurora/  a  twenty-gun  ship,  which  was  shortly 
after  captured  by  the  British  frigate  clris'  bear 
ing  despatches  of  the  surrender  of  Charleston  to  the 
British.  In  the  running  fight  which  ensued  he  was 
severely  wounded,  taken  prisoner,  and  detained  be 
tween  four  or  five  months  when  he  was  exchanged  in 
the  exchange  of  prisoners." 

It  was  a  singular  coincidence  that  the  "  Iris  "  that 
captured  Freneau  should  be  the  bearer  of  despatches 
containing  news  of  the  defeat  of  an  afterwards  intimate 
friend,  Charles  Co£esworth  Pinckney  of  South  Caro 
lina,  who  commanded  Fort  Moultrie,  but  was  obliged 
to  abandon  the  fort  to  help  with  the  defence  of  the  city 
of  Charleston  ;  but  not,  however,  until  he  had  inflicted 
great  injury  upon  the  British,  whose  force  was  greatly 
superior  to  his. 


[120} 


Chapter   Eighth 


THE  exchange  of  prisoners  occurring  in  the  sum 
mer  of  1780,  Philip  returned  to  his  mother's 
house  to  recuperate ;  his  health  having  been 
quite  shattered  by  the  rigors  of  his  captivity.  It  is 
unnecessary  to  add  that  he  carried  with  him  a  burning 
resentment  for  the  ignominious  and  cruel  treatment  he 
had  undergone.  It  was  during  these  months  of  rest 
and  a  mother's  care  that  he  wrote  the  poem  from  which 
we  have  so  largely  drawn  in  the  preceding  chapter. 
Originally,  the  poem  contained  four  cantos,  and  was 
thus  printed  by  Francis  Bailey  in  Philadelphia  in  the 
year  1781,  entitled  "Cantos  from  a  Prison  Ship." 
Later  on,  the  author  recast  it,  as  was  his  wont  with 
his  productions,  and  it  appeared  in  the  Monmouth 
edition  in  three  cantos,  and  was  entitled,  "  The  British 
Prison  Ship ; "  it  runs  to  about  six  hundred  and 
fifty  lines.  Mr.  Edward  Delancey,  having  quoted  a 
few  lines  of  this  poem  in  his  "  Proceedings  of  the 
Huguenot  Society  of  America,"  1  says :  "  The  poem 
was  intended  to  rouse  up  American  feeling,  then  —  in 
1780  —  excessively  depressed;  and  it  serves  to  show 
Freneau's  power  to  arrest  public  attention,  as  well  as 
the  variety,  beauty,  and  force  of  different  characteristics 
of  his  verse;"  and  he  continues  :  "  Of  course,  the  poem 
is  exaggerated  in  its  statements,  but  in  this  the  skill  of 
the  true  poet  shows  itself,  for  in  all  appeals  of  this  kind 
exaggeration  is  a  necessity  if  an  effect  is  to  be  produced 
— just  as  the  sculptor  is  obliged  to  make  the  figure 
of  his  hero  larger  than  life,  if  his  statue  is  to  be  im 
pressive."  In  the  accounts  given  by  persons  who  were 

1  Vol.  ii.  No.  a. 

[12,] 


Philip  Freneau 


not  poets,  and  therefore  without  any  poetical  license 
to  exaggerate,  the  description  falls  very  little,  if  at  all, 
short  of  Freneau's.  Nearly  half  of  the  British  force 
in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  was  Hessian,  and  we 
learn  from  history  that  in  such  contempt  were  the 
Hessians  held  on  account  of  their  brutal  force  and 
hireling  character,  that  Frederick  the  Great,  disgusted 
at  the  thought  of  any  sovereign  employing  such  a 
force  to  reduce  his  colonies,  charged  so  much  a  head 
for  permitting  them  to  cross  his  territory ; '  saying, 
satirically,  that  was  the  rate  he  charged  for  driv 
ing  live  stock  across  his  kingdom.  The  boot  now 
exhibited  at  Washington's  Headquarters  in  Newburg 
on  the  Hudson  as  belonging  to  one  of  these  troops, 
speaks  volumes  as  to  the  owner  of  such  a  machine. 

The  year  of  Freneau's  capture  and  imprisonment, 
as  well  as  the  succeeding  one,  was  dreary  enough  for 
the  patriots.  In  the  north,  military  operations  were 
mostly  suspended;  and  in  the  south  the  army  had 
met  with  many  reverses.  As  we  have  seen  in  the  last 
chapter,  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney  had  been  com 
pelled  to  yield  Fort  Moultrie  to  greatly  superior 
forces,  and  to  reinforce  General  Lincoln,  who  was  try 
ing  to  hold  Charleston  with  fourteen  hundred  men 
against  Sir  Henry  Clinton  with  five  thousand.  South 
Carolina  was  at  last  obliged  to  surrender,  and  the 
garrison,  including  Pinckney,  were  made  prisoners  of 
war.  The  latter  was  not  released  until  peace  was  de 
clared.  Meanwhile,  the  nation's  credit  was  at  its 
lowest  ebb ;  the  continental  bills  fell  in  value  to  two 
cents  on  the  dollar,  and  business  was  paralyzed.  Had 
not  Robert  Morris  and  a  few  wealthy  patriots  come 
forward  and  laid  their  private  fortunes  on  their  country's 
shrine,  its  sun  would  have  sunk  then  and  there.  The 
condition  of  the  army  was  desperate  ;  no  food,  no  pay, 
no  clothing.  The  American  women  came  forward  and 
did  their  best  to  provide  the  latter,  still  the  army 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

suffered.  To  add  to  all  this  misery,  Benedict  Arnold 
had  turned  traitor.  Dismissed  from  Virginia,  where 
he  had  held  supreme  command  after  General  Phillips' 
death,  he  returned  to  New  York ;  and,  receiving  from 
Clinton  a  second  detachment,  he  entered  the  sound, 
landing  at  New  London,  and  captured  the  town. 
Colonel  William  Ledyard,1  who  was  doubly  related  to 
Philip's  wife,  held  command  of  forts  Griswold  and 
Trumbull  which  protected  the  city,  but  finding  his 
force  inadequate  to  hold  them  both,  he  withdrew  all 
his  force,  amounting  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  militia, 
to  the  former,  and  held  it  for  about  an  hour  against 
eight  hundred  British  troops.  The  works  were  carried 
after  severe  fighting,  but  not  until  the  two  superior 
officers  and  two  hundred  men  had  been  killed  or  dis 
abled  on  the  British  side.  Upon  its  surrender,  Major 
Bromfield,  upon  whom  the  command  now  devolved, 
asked  who  commanded  the  garrison.  Ledyard  replied, 
"  I  did  command  it,  but  you  do  now,"  and  handed  him 
his  sword.  Bromfield,  taking  it,  ran  it  through  the 
body  of  Colonel  Ledyard  up  to  the  hilt,  and  a  general 
massacre  ensued.  About  one  hundred  men  were  killed 
and  wounded.  A  monument  has  been  erected  near 
the  spot  to  commemorate  the  massacre. 

Miss  Fannie  Ledyard,  a  niece  of  Colonel  Ledyard, 
was  on  a  visit  to  Groton,  Conn.,  while  Arnold  was 
carrying  on  his  butcheries  there,  and  she  devoted  her 
whole  time  to  caring  for  the  wounded  and  dying. 
She  became  quite  a  heroine  during  the  war,  and  her 
name  is  honorably  mentioned  amongst  the  devoted 
and  self-sacrificing  women  of  the  Revolution.  She 
afterwards  married  R.  L.  Peters  of  Southold,  and  her 
remains  rest  in  the  old  cemetery  near  the  historic 
home  of  her  ancestors.  This  family,  being  so  nearly 
related  to  Philip,  and  its  history  a  romantic  one,  it  will 
not  do  to  pass  over. 

1  Colonel  Ledyard  was  at  the  time  thirty -one  years  of  age. 

[123] 


Philip  Freneau 


At  the  eastern  extremity  of  Long  Island  is  a  quaint 
old  town  called  Southold ;  and  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  interesting  landmarks  of  the  place  is  the  Case 
House,  which  was  erected  in  the  year  1647,  at  which 
time  the  only  communication  with  it  was  by  water. 
A  writer,  in  speaking  of  the  house,  has  said  :  "  Around 
this  old  building  cluster  many  romantic  legends  and 
quaint  stories,  interwoven  with  the  names  of  men  and 
women  who  have  figured  in  the  early  history  of  Suf 
folk  County." 

In  those  early  times  this  house  was  considered  quite 
an  aristocratic  affair.  It  stands  about  a  mile  south  of 
Horton's  Point,  where  the  settlers  of  Suffolk  landed 
in  1640.  In  1673  the  Dutch  commissioners,  sup 
posing  themselves,  like  Crusoe,  monarchs  of  all  they 
surveyed,  paid  a  visit  to  this  town  for  the  purpose  of 
making  Thomas  Moore  high-sheriff;  but,  unlike 
Crusoe,  they;  found  they  were  not  so,  for  the  settlers, 
indignant  at  the  idea  of  being  made  Dutch  whether 
they  would  or  not,  protested  against  this  aggressive 
measure  and  desired  the  authority  of  the  commission 
ers  to  act  in  their  regard ;  and  they  immediately  voted 
to  connect  themselves  with  the  commonwealth  of 
Connecticut. 

John  Ledyard,  a  son  of  this  old  house,  married 
the  daughter  of  Judge  Young,  and  afterwards  re 
moved  to  the  township  of  New  London,  Conn. ; 
the  place  near  Groton  is  named  Ledyard  after  him. 
His  eldest  son,  also  named  John,  returned  to  Southold 
and  married  the  famous  beauty  of  the  time,  Abigail, 
the  daughter  of  Robert  Hempstead.1  Mr.  Ledyard 
engaged  in  the  West  Indian  trade,  but  died  at  the  early 
age  of  thirty-five  years ;  Mrs.  Ledyard  retained  much 
of  her  former  beauty,  and  afterward  married  Dr.  Micah 
Moore,  the  beloved  physician  of  that  section. 

Her  eldest  son,  John,  afterwards  known  as  Ledyard 

1  The  city  of  Hempstead  is  named  after  this  family. 

[124} 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

the  Traveller,  upon  the  second  marriage  of  his  mother, 
went  to  reside  with  his  paternal  grandfather  in  Con 
necticut.  After  making  his  studies  he  attempted  law, 
but  his  mother,  desirous  of  having  him  become  a  mis 
sionary  to  the  Indians,  had  him  placed  at  Dartmouth 
College  with  that  intention.  During  his  stay  there 
he  absented  himself  for  several  months,  and  upon  his 
return  he  excused  his  absence  as  arising  from  a  desire 
to  visit  the  Six  Nations  and  study  Indian  life.  Whether 
it  was  the  experience  he  had  with  them  or  a  disinclina 
tion  for  the  ministry  that  caused  him  to  abandon  the 
project,  is  not  known ;  but  he  soon  after  presented 
himself  at  his  mother's  house,  having  sailed  down  the 
Connecticut  River  and  across  the  sound,  master  of  his 
own  vessel  ;  this  original  affair  being  a  dug-out,  or 
canoe  made  from  the  trunks  of  a  tree  hollowed  out  in 
Indian  fashion.  Soon  after,  his  adventurous  spirit 
caused  him  to  run  away  from  home  and  embark  on  a 
ship  bound  for  the  Mediterranean.1  Arriving  in  Lon 
don  as  Captain  Cook  was  preparing  for  his  third  voyage 
around  the  world,  Ledyard  was  introduced  to  him 
and  produced  such  a  favorable  impression  upon  the 
bold  navigator  that  he  readily  accepted  him  as  an 
assistant.  Ledyard  was  with  Captain  Cook  when 
he  was  killed  by  the  cannibals.  Although  Ledyard 
remained  in  the  British  service,  he  refused  to  bear 
arms  against  his  native  country.  In  1782  the  man- 
of-war  to  which  he  belonged  arrived  off  Huntington, 
and,  obtaining  leave  of  absence,  he  paid  a  visit  to  his 
mother.  Finding  some  British  officers  in  her  parlor, 
he  did  not  make  himself  known  ;  and  he  had  changed 
so  much  during  his  eight  years  of  absence  that  he  was 
not  recognized.  During  the  visit  some  familiar  ex- 

1  According  to  the  Records  of  the  Genealogical  Society,  Ledyard  had 
"just  cause"  for  leaving  his  relatives.  A  commentator  remarks  that  the 
fact  that  people  sometimes  retain  the  property  belonging  to  others  is  not 
calculated  to  keep  those  who  are  wronged  around  the  ancestral  home. 


Philip  Freneau 


pression  attracted  the  lady's  attention ;  and,  after 
scrutinizing  him  for  a  moment,  she  pressed  him  to 
her  heart,  forgetting  the  presence  of  strangers,  so  great 
was  her  joy  ;  their  astonishment  was  considerable  until 
the  matter  was  explained.  In  1785  Ledyard  visited 
Paris,  and  was  received  most  kindly  by  Mr.  Jefferson, 
United  States  minister  at  the  time,  and  also  by  Lafay 
ette.  Desirous  of  fitting  out  an  exploring  expedition, 
he  found  Captain  Paul  Jones  a  ready  co-operator  in 
his  plan  ;  but  circumstances  prevente'd  their  carrying 
it  into  effect.  During  one  of  his  journeys  he  attempted 
to  cross  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia  on  the  ice,  but  upon 
reaching  the  middle  he  found  open  water,  and  was 
obliged  to  alter  his  course  and  walk  around  the  whole 
coast  of  the  gulf,  although  it  was  the  dead  of  winter. 
By  the  time  he  reached  St.  Petersburg  he  had  jour 
neyed  upwards  of  fourteen  hundred  miles  in  seven 
weeks.  At  Irkootsk  he  was  arrested  as  a  spy,  and 
thought  he  got  off  very  easily  when  the  empress  or 
dered  two  guards  to  accompany  him  to  the  frontiers 
of  Poland,  and  there  dismiss  him  with  the  threat  of 
being  hanged  if  he  ever  entered  Russia  again.  It  is  most 
probable  that  he  did  not.  After  travelling  over  the  most 
of  the  then  known  part  of  the  world,  he  died  at  Cairo, 
as  he  was  preparing  to  cross  the  African  continent 
westerly  from  Sennaar.  It  is  said  of  him  that  he 
was  adventurous  beyond  the  conception  of  ordinary 
men,  yet  wary  and  considerate ;  and  he  appeared  to 
be  formed  by  nature  for  achievements  of  hardihood 
and  peril ;  for  capacity  of  endurance,  resolution,  and 
physical  vigor,  he  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of 
modern  travellers ;  and  had  he  possessed  means  equal 
to  his  zeal,  his  name  would  doubtless  have  been  asso 
ciated  with  important  discoveries,  as  it  now  is  with 
wonderful  and  romantic,  but  unprofitable  adventures. 
Writing  to  Mr.  Jefferson,  he  utters  a  beautiful  and  re 
fined  compliment.  Expressing  his  appreciation  of  the 

[  '**  1 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

former's  kindness  while  in  Paris,  he  writes :  "  I  shall 
never  think  my  letter  an  indifferent  one  when  it  con 
tains  the  declaration  of  my  gratitude  and  my  affection 
for  you ;  and  this,  notwithstanding  you  thought 
hard  of  me  for  being  employed  by  an  English  associa 
tion,  which  hurt  me  while  I  was  in  Paris.  You  know 
your  own  heart;  and  if  my  suspicions  are  groundless, 
forgive  them,  since  they  proceed  from  the  jealousy  I 
have,  not  to  lose  the  regard  you  have  in  times  past 
been  pleased  to  honor  me  with.  You  are  not  obliged 
to  esteem  me,  but  I  am  obliged  to  esteem  you,  or  take 
leave  of  my  senses  and  confront  the  opinions  of  the 
greatest  and  best  characters  I  know.  If  I  cannot 
therefore  address  myself  to  you  as  a  man  you  regard, 
I  must  do  it  as  one  that  regards  you,  for  your  own 
sake  and  for  the  sake  of  my  country,  which  has  set 
me  the  example."  1 

His  relative,  Freneau's  wife,  used  to  tell  an  amus 
ing  story  of  an  unexpected  visit  from  him  upon  his 
return  from  one  of  his  perilous  adventures.  She  was 
seated  by  a  window  in  Middleton  Point  engaged  in 
reading,  when  she  heard  the  hasty  galloping  of  a  horse, 
and  suddenly  felt  herself  embraced  most  warmly,  and 
then  heard  the  retreating  gallop  of  the  same  down  the 
street ;  and  all  in  shorter  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it. 
Her  feeling  of  indignation  cooled  down  later  on,  upon 
learning  that  the  author  of  the  affair  was  her  wild,  fun- 
loving  relative;  for  no  one  could  be  angry  with  Jack 
Ledyard. 

After  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  in  which,  as  we 

1  A  biographer  of  Ledyard  has  written,  "  Ledyard  gave  Jefferson  a 
great  deal  of  valuable  information,  which,  for  political  reasons,  Jefferson  did 
not  publish,  but  which  was  of  great  benefit  to  him  in  the  conduct  of  for 
eign  affairs  when  he  became  president."  He  likewise  says  that  the  success 
of  the  administration  in  pushing  forward  the  contest  which  made  the  Pa 
cific  the  western  boundary,  in  opposition  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Co. ,  and  also 
in  opposition  to  a  great  many  American  Congressmen,  was  partly  due  to 
information  given  by  Ledyard  in  the  early  days. 


Philip  Freneau 


have  seen,  the  patriots  were  defeated,  the  British 
occupied  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  island,  making 
their  headquarters  at  the  Vail 1  house,  which  was  not 
far  from  Mrs.  Moore's  residence.  The  officers  fre 
quently  visited  that  lady,  probably  attracted  by  her 
charming  daughters.  Mrs.  Moore  was  a  thorough 
patriot,  but  nevertheless  entertained  her  guests  most 
hospitably ;  keeping,  however,  a  sharp  eye  on  her 
young  people.  A  ship  lay  at  anchor  in  the  sound  in 
sight  of  the  house,  whose  commander  very  frequently 
was  a  guest  of  the  lady.  Her  third  and  last  child  by 
the  name  of  Ledyard,  Jerusia,  looked  favorably  on 
her  suitor,  although  he  wore  the  uniform  of  a  British 
naval  officer,  and  was  righting  against  her  country  ; 
but  her  mother  looked  less  favorably  upon  his  suit. 
One  day  Jerusia  was  missing,  and  the  ship  gave  tokens 
of  a  sudden  departure.  Summoning  some  men,  the 
determined  mother  had  herself  taken  in  a  boat  along 
side  the  ship,  and  demanded  her  daughter ;  but  gave 
her  consent  to  the  nuptials,  provided  the  ceremony 
was  performed  in  the  little  Puritan  church  in  the 
village,  which  was  done. 

The  oldest  daughter  by  Mrs.  Ledyard's  second 
marriage,  Rebecca,  married  Captain  Jonathan  Landon, 
who  commanded  the  brig  "  Georgia  "  of  historic  fame  ; 
and  Julia,  the  youngest,  became  the  wife  of  Matthias 
Case  and  succeeded  her  mother  as  mistress  of  the  Led- 
yard-Moore-Case  house.  The  latter  name  it  bears 
at  the  present  day.  For  years  the  town  meetings  were 
held  at  this  house ;  and  whenever  there  was  a  question 
of  a  vote  it  was  taken  on  the  lawn  in  front,  the  voters 
being  drawn  up  in  lines.2 

1  Both  this  house  and  the  Case  house  are  yet  standing. 

2  Connected  with   this  family  are:    Rev.  Theodore  Ledyard  Cuyler, 
D.D.,  Lewis  Cass  Ledyard,  Horatio  Seymour,  John  Seymour,  Ex-Gov. 
E.  D.  Morgan,  Thomas  Seymour  of  Connecticut,   Governor  and  Con 
gressman,  Senator  George  Ledyard,  and  the  Baroness  von  Kettler. 

[zrf] 


Poet  of  the  Revolution 


When  Arnold  left  New  York  with  his  family  for 
England  in  1781,  Freneau  celebrated  his  departure  by 
an  ode  which  is  in  imitation  of  Horace. 

Duyckinck  says  Freneau's  rendering  is  quite  skilful, 
and  shows  his  scholar's  appreciation  of  the  original. 


ARNOLD'S    DEPARTURE. 

Mala  soluta  navis  exit  aliter 
Ferens  olentem  Maevium. 

Imitated  from  HORACE. 

With  evil  omens  from  the  harbour  sails 

The  ill-fated  ship  that  worthless  Arnold  bears, 

God  of  the  southern  winds,  call  up  thy  gales, 
And  whistle  in  rude  fury  round  his  ears. 

With  horrid  waves  insult  his  vessel's  sides, 
And  may  the  east  wind  on  a  leeward  shore 

Her  cables  snap,  while  she  in  tumult  rides, 
And  shatter  into  shivers  every  oar. 

And  let  the  north  wind  to  her  ruin  haste, 

With  such  a  rage,  as  when  from  mountains  high 

He  rends  the  tall  oak  with  his  weighty  blast, 
And  ruin  spreads,  where'er  his  forces  fly. 

May  not  one  friendly  star  that  night  be  seen  ; 

No  Moon,  attendant,  dart  one  glimmering  ray, 
Nor  may  she  ride  on  oceans  more  serene 

Than  Greece,  triumphant,  found  that  stormy  day, 

When  angry  Pallas  spent  her  rage  no  more 
On  vanquished  Ilium,  then  in  ashes  laid, 

But  turn'd  it  on  the  barque  that  Ajax  bore 
Avenging  thus  her  temple  and  the  maid. 

When  toss'd  upon  the  vast  Atlantic  main 

Your  groaning  ship  the  southern  gales  shall  tear, 

How  will  your  sailors  sweat,  and  you  complain 
And  meanly  howl  to  Jove,  that  will  not  hear  ! 


Philip  Freneau 

But  if  at  last,  upon  some  winding  shore 
A  prey  to  hungry  cormorants  you  lie, 

A  wanton  goat  to  every  stormy  power,1 
And  a  fat  lamb  in  sacrifice,  shall  die. 

Of  this  poem,  Professor  Murray  says  some  parts  are 
unequalled. 

In  this  year,  1881,  Freneau  published  his  poem  com 
memorating  the  naval  victory  of  Paul  Jones.  It  was 
entitled  "  On  the  Memorable  Victory/'  which  the  same 
professor  says  is  a  genuine  specimen  of  the  national 
ballad.  One  beautiful  phase  of  Freneau' s  character 
was  his  freedom  from  all  sentiment  of  jealousy.  Prob 
ably  no  one  was  ever  found  more  willing  to  bestow 
praise,  when  deserved,  than  he.  Although  the  entire 
poem  is  a  panegyric,  I  select  a  few  stanzas  to  exemplify 
what  I  have  already  stated :  — 

"  'T  was  Jones,  brave  Jones,  to  battle  led 
As  bold  a  crew  as  ever  bled 

Upon  the  sky  surrounded  main  ; 
The  standards  of  the  western  world 
Were  to  the  willing  winds  unfurPd, 

Denying  Britain's  tyrant  reign." 

And  again :  — 

"  But  thou,  brave  Jones,  no  blame  shalt  bear ; 
The  rights  of  men  demand  your  care  : 

For  these  you  dare  the  greedy  waves  — 
No  tyrant,  on  destruction  bent, 
Has  plann'd  thy  conquests  —  thou  art  sent 

To  humble  tyrants  and  their  slaves." 

The  poem  contains  twenty-one  stanzas  descriptive 
of  the  battle.     The  concluding  stanzas  run  thus  :  — 

"  Go  on,  great  man,  to  scourge  the  foe, 
And  bid  these  haughty  Britons  know 

1  The  tempests  were  goddesses  among  the  Romans. 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

They  to  our  "Thirteen  Stars  shall  bend ; 
The  Stars  that,  veiPd  in  dark  attire, 
Long  glimmer'd  with  a  feeble  fire, 

But  radiant  now  ascend. 

"  Bend  to  the  stars  that  flaming  rise 
On  western  worlds,  more  brilliant  skies, 

Fair  Freedom's  reign  restor'd  — 
So  when  the  Magi,  come  from  far, 
Beheld  the  God-attending  Star, 

They  trembled  and  ador'd."  1 

During  the  year  1781  and  till  peace  was  declared, 
Freneau  strove  to  animate  his  countrymen  with  his 
pen,  as  indeed  he  had  ever  done  since  the  outbreak  of 
hostilities.  From  Concord  to  Yorktown,  during  the 
bleak  winter  at  Valley  Forge,  and  round  the  camp-fires 
on  Temple  Hill,  his  verses  encouraged  the  desponding 
soldiers.  The  newspapers  widely  published  them,  and 
they  were  written  on  slips  of  paper  and  distributed 
throughout  the  army,  or  posted  in  some  conspicuous 
place  to  be  memorized.  And  not  alone  by  the  camp- 
fire  did  they  accomplish  their  work,  but  even  on 
the  field ;  his  earnestness  and  zeal  encouraged  the 
patriots  to  greater  efforts,  or  urged  them  on  at  the 
point  of  his  bayonet  (the  pen)  when  he  saw  any  signs 
of  their  lagging  behind  ;  and  afterwards  he  immortalized 
the  victories  they  won.  Not  a  memorable  incident 
either  by  land  or  by  water  escaped  his  ever  watchful 
and  unwearied  pen. 

Conscious  that  ridicule  best  kills  a  cause,  every 
vain  exploit  of  the  enemy  was  depicted  in  a  ludicrous 
light ;  and  so  successfully  did  he  attack  those  that  still 
adhered  to  the  crown  that  he  gained  to  his  side  many 
who  through  indifference  had  given  their  adherence  to 

1  This  action  was  fought  off  Flamborough  Head  the  23d  of  Septem 
ber,  1779.  Few  naval  battles  have  made  a  greater  popular  impression. 
The  history  of  Jones  has  an  air  of  romance  and  gallantry,  of  courage 
and  adventure.  His  ability  as  an  officer  and  seaman  cannot  be  disputed. 


Philip  Freneau 


neither  party.  This  was  too  serious  a  time  to  think 
of  future  fame  ;  the  stern  realities  of  the  present  were 
to  be  met,  and  by  a  supreme  effort  everything  was  to 
be  gained  or  all  lost.  His  country's  fortunes  were 
his,  and  he  threw  himself  heart  and  soul  into  the  task. 
Exquisite  melodies  could  hardly  touch  the  hearts  of 
the  half-clothed  barefooted  soldiers.  It  would  be  like 
the  mockery  of  pouring  a  wineglass  of  Tokay  or 
Johannisberg  into  the  poor  empty  canteens  of  half- 
famished  soldiers.  No,  he  wrote  to  arouse,  to  inspire, 
to  encourage  the  rough,  illiterate  men  of  whom  the 
army  was  mostly  composed.  And  as  no  two  natures 
are  precisely  alike,  he  enlisted  all  his  talents  in  his 
work;  burlesque,  satire,  imprecation,  —  nothing  was 
neglected  that  might  touch  an  answering  chord  in 
their  hearts.  Now  he  would  ring  a  note  of  victory, 
now  one  of  defiance,  again  that  of  denunciation  in 
answer  to  some  Tory  gibe. 

Some  writer  has  said,  "  Was  it  not  as  grand  and  true 
a  spirit  that  would  belittle  itself  to  cheer  the  down 
hearted  patriots,  or  give  their  unrefined  ears  some 
jingle  to  sing  or  some  praise  to  cheer,  as  issued  from 
the  lips  of  the  officers  on  the  field?  —  it  was  all  for  the 
same  cause."  It  has  also  been  truthfully  said  that 
among  the  poets  of  the  Revolution  that  contributed 
the  most  effectually  to  animate  the  colonists  in  their 
struggles  with  England,  Freneau  holds  the  chief  place  ; 
and  that  during  the  war,  and  for  several  years  after 
wards,  his  efforts  were  so  much  appreciated  that  he 
enjoyed  a  large  measure  of  popularity  :  and  even  since 
that  time  many  of  his  productions  have  received  high 
praise  abroad  and  at  home.  His  real  strength  lay  in 
his  earnestness,  and  it  was  this  quality  that  made  his 
revolutionary  verses  popular,  and  contributed  to  their 
real  merit. 

During  the  war  he  satirized  Tryon,  Gage,  Bur- 
goyne,Vaughan,  Knyphausen,  and  Lords  Percy,  North, 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

and  Jeffries,  also  the  blundering  of  the  British  troops 
by  land,  and  their  losses  by  sea ;  and,  above  all,  the 
crown  in  its  representative,  George,  whom  he  called  a 
"royal  coward."  In  fact,  as  Professor  Tyler  has  said, 
"  a  running  commentary  on  his  Revolutionary  satires 
would  be  an  almost  complete  commentary  on  the 
whole  Revolutionary  struggle  ;  nearly  every  important 
emergency  and  phase  of  which  are  photographed  in 
his  keen,  merciless,  and  often  brilliant  lines." 

The  war  ending  in  1783,  Freneau  dropped  his 
bloodless  warfare  and  turned  his  satirical  powers 
upon  the  rival  printers  Rivington  and  Gaines ;  who 
had  changed  their  signs  as  well  as  their  coats  to  suit 
each  power  that  held  the  ascendency ;  and  which  he 
thought  called  rather  for  ridicule  than  eloquence.  And 
in  this,  Dr.  Witherspoon,  Francis  Hopkinson,  and 
Trumbull  joined  him,  opening  their  batteries  of  se^ 
verity  and  ridicule  upon  these  unfortunate  remnants  of 
Toryism.  James  Rivington  was  a  London  bookseller 
who  had  established  himself  in  New  York,  and  com 
menced,  in  1773,  the  publication  of  the  "New  York 
Gazetteer,"  a  Tory  organ.  In  1775,  Isaac  Sears,  a 
"  Son  of  Liberty,"  destroyed  his  office  and  ran  his 
type  into  bullets ;  Rivington  repaired  to  England, 
obtained  the  appointment  of  king's  printer,  and  re 
turned  with  new  type  to  New  York.  Although  he 
seemed  to  do  his  best  to  fan  the  flame  of  Toryism 
before  and  during  the  war,  after  it  was  over  he 
escaped  deserved  punishment  by  having  acted  as 
a  spy  for  Washington.  Nevertheless,  Freneau,  who 
detested  insincerity,  commemorated  his  turncoat  pro 
pensities  in  several  poems  ;  but  Rivington,  a  supple 
courtier,  stood  the  fire,  took  down  the  royal  arms  of 
which  Freneau  made  sport,  and  continued  his  paper 
under  the  title  of  "  New  York  Gazette  and  Universal 
Advertiser."  This  latter  quality  drew  upon  him  Fre- 
neau's  ridicule  ;  it  is  said  that  his  advertisements  sup- 

\*33\ 


Philip  Freneau 


plied  no  small  amount  of  amusement  to  all  his  readers. 
The  poet  caricatures  them  thus  in  his  verses  entitled, 
"  Rivington's  last  Will  and  Testament/'  of  which  I 
will  only  quote  an  occasional  verse :  — 

"  To  the  king,  my  dear  master,  I  give  a  full  sett, 
In  volumes  bound  up,  of  the  Royal  Gazette, 
In  which  he  will  find  the  vast  records  contain'd 
Of  provinces  conquer'd,  and  victories  gain'd. 

"  As  to  Arnold,  the  traitor,  and  Satan  his  brother, 
I  beg  they  will  also  accept  of  another ; 
And  this  shall  be  bound  in  morocco  red  leather, 
Provided  they  '11  read  it,  like  brothers,  together. 

"  But  if  Arnold  should  die,  't  is  another  affair, 
Then  Satan,  surviving,  shall  be  the  sole  heir ; 
He  often  has  told  me  he  thought  it  quite  clever, 
So  to  him  and  his  heirs,  I  bequeath  it  forever. 

"  I  know  there  are  some,  that  would  fain  be  thought  wise 
Who  say  my  Gazette  is  a  record  of  lies; 
In  answer  to  this  I  shall  only  reply  — 
All  the  choice  that  I  had  was,  to  starve  or  to  lie. 

"  My  fiddles,  my  flutes,  French  horns  and  guitars,1 
I  leave  to  our  Heroes,  now  weary  of  wars  — 
To  the  wars  of  the  stage  they  more  boldly  advance,2 
The  captains  shall  play  and  the  soldiers  shall  dance. 

u  To  Sir  Henry  Clinton  his  use  and  behoof, 
I  leave  my  French  brandy,  of  very  good  proof; 
It  will  give  him  fresh  spirits  for  battle  and  slaughter 
And  make  him  feel  bolder  by  land  and  by  water : 

"  To  Baron  Knyphausen,  his  heirs  and  assigns, 
I  bequeath  my  old  Hock,  and  my  Burgundy  wines, 

1  Rivington   seems   to  have  prided  himself  on  his  supply  of  "  good 
fiddles." 

2  "  It  became  fashionable   at  this  period   with   the  British  officers  to 
assume  the  business  of  the  drama,  to  the  no  small  mortification  of  those 
who  had  been  holding  them  up  as  the  conquerors  of  North  America." 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

To  a  true  Hessian  drunkard,  no  liquors  are  sweeter, 
And  I  know  the  old  man  is  no  foe  to  the  creature. 

"  To  a  General,  my  namesake,  I  give  and  dispose 
Of  a  purse  full  of  clipp'd,  light,  sweated  half  Joes  : 
I  hereby  desire  him  to  take  back  his  trash, 
And  return  me  my  Hannay's  infallible  Wash. 

"  My  chessmen  and  tables,  and  other  such  chattels 
I  give  to  Cornwallis,  renowned  in  battles : 
By  moving  of  these,  not  tracing  the  map, 
He'll  explain  to  the  king  how  he  got  in  a  trap." 

The  type  of  the  "  Gazette  "  being  rather  delicate 
through  age,  Freneau  commemorates  the  fact  in  an 
epigram  entitled  cc  Epigram.  Occasioned  by  the  Title 
of  Mr.  Rivingtons  New  Tork  Royal  Gazette  being 
scarcely  legible." 

Undoubtedly  to  please  Freneau,  the  editor  of  the 
"  Gazette  "  got  new  types,  and  this  fact  called  for  some 
"  Lines.  Occasioned  by  Mr.  Rivingtons  new  Titular 
types  to  his  Royal  Gazette  of  February  17,  1782." 

Then  his  arms  fell  under  Freneau's  fire  and  the  edi 
tor  had  new  ones  engraved,  which  called  for  another 
set  of  verses  :  — 


ON   MR.    RIVINGTON'S    NEW    ENGRAVED    KING'S    ARMS 
TO  HIS    ROYAL  GAZETTE. 

From  the  regions  of  night,  with  his  head  in  a  sack, 
Ascended  a  person  accoutred  in  black, 
And  upward  directing  his  circular  eye  whites ; 
(Like  the  Jure-divino  political  Levites) 
And  leaning  his  elbow  on  Rivington's  shelf, 
While  the  printer  was  busy  thus  mus'd  with  himself: 
"  My  mandates  are  fully  complied  with  at  last, 
New  Arms  are  engrav'd,  and  new  letters  are  cast ; 
I  therefore  determine  and  freely  accord, 
This  servant  of  mine  shall  receive  his  reward." 


Philip  Freneau 

Then  turning  about,  to  the  printer  he  said, 
"Who  late  was  my  servant  shall  now  be  my  aid; 
Since  under  my  banner  so  bravely  you  fight, 
Kneel  down  !  —  for  your  merits  I  dubb  you  a  knight, 
From  a  passive  subaltern  I  bid  you  to  rise 
The  Inventor,  as  well  as  the  Printer  of  Lies." 

Freneau's  other  victim,  Hugh  Gaines,  an  Irishman 
by  birth,  had  settled  in  New  York  as  a  printer  in 
1750;  and  two  years  later  established  a  newspaper 
called  the  "  New  York  Mercury/1  His  sign  was  a  Bible 
and  a  crown ;  his  politics,  whichever  side  was  upper 
most.  After  the  war  he  was  allowed  to  continue  his 
book  store,  striking  the  crown  from  his  sign  ;  but  his 
paper  was  discontinued.  At  the  beginning  of  the  war 
he  sided  with  the  patriots,  and  when  the  British  seized 
New  York,  he  retired  to  New  Jersey  and  published 
his  paper  there  for  a  few  weeks,  but  returned  to  New 
York  and  continued  his  printing,  under  the  protection 
of  the  royal  army.  Freneau  has  written  a  Poetical 
Biography,  of  Gaines,  in  which  he  depicts  his  retreat  to 
New  Jersey,  and  in  which  occurs  an  image  to  which 
Mr.  Delancey  draws  attention  as  being  an  "  exceed 
ingly  fine  one  —  one  of  the  striking  creations  of  the 
true  poet." 

"IV. 

"  From  this  very  day  'till  the  British  came  in, 
We  liv'd  I  may  say,  in  the  Desert  of  Sin  ;  — 
Such  beating,  and  bruising,  and  scratching,  and  tearing ; 
Such  kicking,  and  cuffing,  and  cursing  and  swearing  ! 
But  when  they  advanc'd  with  their  numerous  fleet, 
And  Washington  made  his  nocturnal  retreat^ 
(And  which  they  permitted,  I  say  to  their  shame, 
Or  else  your  New  Empire  had  been  but  a  name). 
We  townsmen,  like  women,  of  Britons  in  dread, 
Mistrusted  their  meaning,  and  foolishly  fled ; 

1  Retreat  from  Long  Island. 

if 36} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Like  the  rest  of  the  dunces  I  mounted  my  steed, 
And  gallop'd  away  with  Incredible  speed, 
To  Newark  I  hastened  —  but  trouble  and  care 
Got  up  on  the  crupper  and  followed  me  there."  * 

Before  the  war  Gaines  had  published  some  of  Fre- 
neau's  satires  against  Great  Britain,  and  the  poet 
puts  these  words  in  Gaines'  mouth  in  apology  for 
the  act: — 

"  I  first  was  a  whig  with  an  honest  intent ; 
Not  a  Rebel  among  them  talk'd  louder  or  bolder, 
With  his  sword  by  his  side,  or  his  gun  on  his  shoulder, 
Yes,  I  was  a  whig,  and  a  whig  from  my  heart, 
But  still  was  unwilling  with  Britain  to  part  — 
I  thought  to  oppose  her  was  foolish  and  vain, 
I  thought  she  would  turn  and  embrace  us  again, 
And  make  us  as  happy  as  happy  could  be, 
By  renewing  the  aera  of  mild  Sixty-three ; 
And  yet,  like  a  cruel  undutiful  son, 
Who  evil  returns  for  the  good  to  be  done, 
Unmerited  odium  on  Britain  to  throw, 
I  printed  some  treason  for  Philip  Freneau, 
Some  damnable  poems  reflecting  on  Gage, 
The  King  and  his  Council,  and  writ  with  such  rage, 
So  full  of  invective,  and  loaded  with  spleen, 
So  sneeringly  smart,  and  so  hellishly  keen, 
That,  at  least  in  the  judgment  of  half  our  wise  men, 
Alecto  herself  put  the  nib  to  his  pen." 

Dr.  Francis,  in  his  reminiscences,  relates  the  meeting 
of  Freneau  and  his  victim  after  the  war.  The  former 
was  quietly  looking  at  some  books  in  the  store  of  the 
latter,  when  a  friend  entered ;  and  in  saluting  Freneau, 
called  him  by  name  quite  distinctly.  The  name  ar 
rested  the  attention  of  the  old  printer,  who,  lifting 
up  his  eyes,  said,  — 

1  Probably  adapted  from  Horace :  — 

"  Post  equitem  sedet  atra  Cura." 


Philip  Freneau 


"  Is  your  name  Freneau  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  poet,  "  Philip  Freneau." 

"  Philip  Freneau  ?  "  repeated  Gaines. 

"Yes,  sir,  the  same." 

"Then,  sir,"  warmly  returned  the  latter,  "you  are  a 
clever  fellow;  let  me  have  the  pleasure  of  taking  you 
by  the  hand.  Will  you  join  me  in  my  parlor  around 
the  corner  and  we  will  have  a  glass  of  wine  together. 
You  have  given  me  and  my  friend  Rivington  a  wide 
and  lasting  reputation." 

In  1784  we  find  Freneau  dating  a  poem  from  Port 
Royal;  and  from  another,  dated  Charleston,  17 86, we 
learn  that  he  was  visiting  his  brother  in  that  year. 
From  a  note  in  a  very  old  book  we  find  that  he  made 
two  voyages  to  Madeira  as  commander  of  the  brig 
"  Washington,"  which  was  owned  and  freighted  by  his 
brother. 

Pierre,  or  Peter  Freneau,  as  he  was  usually  called, 
was  the  younger  and  only  living  brother  of  the  poet. 
It  has  been  stated  that  he  was  graduated  at  Princeton 
College,  but  his  name  is  not  found  upon  their  records. 
This  may  be,  satisfactorily  accounted  for  by  the  fact 
of  his  being  a  student  at  the  time  the  British  took 
possession  of  Nassau  Hall,  and  the  rolls  then  in  use 
may  have  been  destroyed,  while  the  earlier  records 
were,  probably,  safe  by  having  been  stored  away,  and 
have  thus  been  handed  down.  Some  years  after  his 
graduation,  and  in  the  year  1782,  Peter  took  up  his 
residence  in  Charleston. 

South  Carolina  was  a  favorite  location  for  the 
Huguenot  refugees  ;  consequently  their  numbers  in 
that  State  exceeded  that  of  any  other.  They  founded 
large  plantations  on  the  banks  of  the  Cooper  River, 
and  to  them  it  is  said  the  State  is  indebted  for  the 
introduction  of  the  olive  and  mulberry.  In  the  city 
of  Charleston  they  added  many  new  streets,  and  their 
merchants  were  distinguished  as  being  the  most  active 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

and  thrifty  in  the  provinces ;  and  many  of  the  most 
distinguished  families  of  later  days  are  descended  from 
the  Huguenot  settlers.  Charleston  was  a  very  aristo 
cratic  city,  and  it  has  been  said  to  have  had  its  no 
bility  in  everything  but  titles.  Among  its  residents 
at  that  time  were  the  Right  Hon.  Richard  Beresford, 
brother  to  the  Premier ;  Pierce  Butler,  cousin  to  the 
Duke  of  Ormond;  Lady  Mary  Middleton,  and  others. 
All  these  circumstances  may  have  combined  to  cause 
Peter  to  choose  that  city  for  a  permanent  residence.  It 
is  said  that  from  the  first  he  attracted  general  and 
favorable  notice  from  those  the  best  qualified  as  judges, 
and  that  he  became  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen 
of  his  adopted  city. 

Peter  was  renowned  throughout  the  State  for  his 
personal  beauty ;  and  his  manners  were  such  as  to 
endear  him  to  all  and  render  him  popular  in  the 
extreme.1  It  is  most  probable,  if  he  married,  that  his 
wife  died  early,  as  Mr.  Thomas  in  his  Reminiscences, 
to  which  I  am  indebted  for  most  of  these  facts,  says 
that  although  he  kept  up  an  establishment,  he  had  no 
family  but  his  slaves.  It  has  also  been  stated  that 
he  never  married.  This,  we  think,  is  a  mistake,  as 
Philip's  daughter  Agnes  remembered,  as  a  child,  see 
ing  his  wife  frequently  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  and  that  upon 
one  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierre  Freneau's  visits  they 
drove  by  easy  stages  from  Charleston,  and  presented 
her  father  with  the  handsome  span  of  horses,  carriage, 
and  slave  coachman.  Peter  was  noted  for  his  hand 
some  presents  and  generous  liberality.  Mrs.  Agnes 
Leadbeater  also  states  that  her  elder  sister  Helen  went 
to  Charleston  with  her  uncle  and  aunt  and  remained 
there  some  time,  for  the  purpose  of  attending  an 
excellent  school  conducted  by  a  daughter  of  Admiral 

1  It  is  said  that,  when  visiting  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Philip  Freneau  in  Phila 
delphia  while  that  city  was  the  seat  of  government,  he  became  one  of  the 
greatest  social  favorites  and  one  of  the  most  talked-of  men  at  the  assemblies. 


Philip  Freneau 


de  Grasse,1  as  schools  for  females  were  few  and  poor 
near  her  home.  Pierre  never  married  again,  but  he 
enjoyed  in  his  home  the  friendship  of  many  who  were 
not  friends  alone  in  name,  but  in  the  deepest  senti 
ments  of  the  heart.  His  conversational  powers,  we 
are  told,  were  unequalled ;  and  what  enhanced  the 
charm  was  his  utter  unconsciousness  of  possessing 
such  in  any  eminent  degree ;  he  communicated  the 
most  interesting  truths  in  a  manner  all  the  more 
agreeable,  as  he  was  not  conscious  of  saying  anything 
not  already  familiar  to  his  hearers. 

Sometimes  he  would  entertain  his  friends  by  ren 
dering  into  English  the  famous  Paris  editions  of 
Voltaire's  plays.  He  was  an  admirable  reader,  and 
his  translations  were  ready  and  unequalled,  so  that  it 
was  considered  a  great  treat  to  listen  to  him.  He 
was  well  versed  in  ancient,  as  well  as  modern  lan 
guages,  reading  the  Old  Testament  in  Hebrew,  and 
the  New  in  Greek.  His  Latin  was  said  to  be  good, 
but  he  took  greater  pleasure  in  the  living  languages 
and  translated  well  from  the  Italian,  French,  Spanish, 
and  Portuguese.  Napoleon  is  said  to  have  remarked 
to  Berthier,  the  Minister  of  War,  that  Freneau's 
translations  of  his  bulletins  were  the  only  correct 
ones.  Berthier  communicated  this  fact  to  the  French 
minister.  Pierre's  reading  was  extensive ;  he  devoted 
most  of  his  time  to  it,  taking  a  book  into  his  hand 
almost  as  soon  as  he  entered  the  house. 

In  his  early  life  he  had  started  a  paper  called  the 
"  Charleston  City  Gazette,"  which  obtained  a  vast 
controlling  influence  throughout  the  entire  State ;  and 
it  continued  to  increase  until  it  was  a  complete  political 
lever,  he  himself  being  a  host.  Pierre  was  peculiarly 
fitted  for  the  position  of  editor,  as  he  had  a  wide 
range  of  general  knowledge  and  information  ;  and 

1  This  lady  afterwards  married  Mr.  de  Pau  of  New  York. 

[140] 


Poet  of  the  Revolution 

he  wrote  with  the  greatest  ease  and  facility,  being 
seldom  obliged  to  make  an  erasure.  His  style  of 
composition  is  said  to  have  combined  the  smoothness 
and  beauty  of  Addison  with  the  simplicity  of  Cobbett; 
his  wit  was  ready,  and  he  occasionally  indulged  in 
versification. 

Decided  in  advancing  his  own  opinions,  he  was 
nevertheless  just,  and  even  liberal,  to  those  that 
thought  differently  from  him  ;  and  no  difference  in 
political  opinion  ever  caused  a  loss  of  his  many  warm 
hearted  and  devoted  friends.  In  politics  he  maintained 
the  Republican-Democratic  party,  and  remained  ever 
identified  with  it.  His  paper  was,  even  before  Jeffer 
son's  administration,  the  journal  of  the  State  as  well 
as  of  the  city,  but  after  the  nomination  of  the  latter 
for  the  presidency,  the  patronage  of  the  general  gov 
ernment  was  added.  Jefferson  was  warmly  attached 
to  Pierre,  and  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  him, 
as  did  many  other  prominent  men.  Unfortunately, 
many  of  his  letters  and  papers  were  burned  in  the 
fire  which  consumed  Philip's  residence  at  Mount 
Pleasant.  Of  one  of  these  letters  we  are  fortunate 
enough  to  have  a  copy.  It  reads  as  follows  :  — 

WASHINGTON,  May  20,  1803. 

DEAR  SIR,  —  I  received  last  night  from  Paris  the  enclosed 
small  parcel  of  Egyptian  rice.  1  am  not  informed  of  its  merits, 
but  your's  being  the  State  where  that  can  be  best  tried,  I  take 
the  liberty  of  consigning  it  to  your  care,  that  we  may  be 
availed  of  whatever  good  it  may  offer. 

The  New  York  election  no  doubt  attracted  your  attention 
from  the  inflated  hopes  of  the  Federalists.  From  a  concurrence 
of  circumstances  they  had  been  out  with  all  their  boldness. 
One  source  of  their  delusion  was  that  they  were  so  desirous 
of  war  themselves  that  they  really  believed  the  nation  desired  it. 
Never  was  defeat  more  complete ;  in  Jersey  it  is  confidently 
believed  we  shall  have  29  members  out  of  52  which  con- 


Philip  Freneau 


stitute  both  houses  ;    in  Massachusetts  we  have  gained  two 
senators  more  than  we  had  last  year,  and  it  is  believed  that  in 
the  election  of  representatives  now  going  on,  we  shall  gain 
also.     In  Connecticut  we  have  lost  greatly  in  their  house  of 
representatives,  yet  in  the  whole  body  of  the  people  we  have 
unquestionably  gained,  as  is  proved  by  the  votes  for  Governor. 
Last  year  the  votes  for  Trumbull  and  Kirby  were  10,000  to 
4523  ;  this  year  they  are  14,300  to  7848  ;  so  that  the  last  year 
of  100  parts  of  the  whole  voters,  the  Federalists  had  71  and 
the  Republicans  29;  this  year,  of  100  parts  of  the  whole  voters 
the  Federalists  had  65,  and  the  Republicans  35.     We  have  ad 
vanced  then  from  29  to  35,  or  1,  while  they  have  fallen  from 
71  to  65,  or  -^p      In  New  Hampshire  they  appear  to  have  been 
more  stationary.      Delaware  is  entirely  equivocal  and  uncer 
tain.      On  the  whole  there  is  no  doubt  of  republicanism  gaining 
the  entire  ascendency  in  New  England  within  a  moderate  time 
and   consolidating   the    union    into    one    homogeneous   mass. 
In  Philadelphia  some  heats  have  been  excited  against  the  leav 
ing  any  Federalists  in  office,  but  these  are  softening  down  to 
moderation,  while    in    the   other   states   generally  the    course 
which  has  been  pursued,    altho'  thought  to  have  gone  too  far 
into  removal,  is  acquiesced   in  and    on    the  whole  approved. 
We  laid  it  down  as  a  principal,  in  the  beginning,  that    the 
Federalists  had  a  right  to  a  participation  of  office  proportioned 
to  their  numbers ;  they  in  fact  professed  all.     We  removed  a 
few  in  marked  cases  ;  we  determined  to  remove  all  others  who 
should    take   an  active  and   bitter   part  against  the  order    of 
things  established  by  the  public  bill.      Removals  for  this  cause 
and    for    other    delinquencies,    resignations,  and  deaths    have 
nearly  given  us  our  full  proportion  of  office  in  all  the  States 
except  Massachusetts.     I  speak  of  these  offices  only  which  are 
given  by  the  President  himself;  the  subordinate  ones  are  left  to 
their  principals.     At  present,  therefore,  as  from  an  early  period 
of  the  administration,  political  principle,  unless  producing  active 
opposition,  is  not  a  ground  for  removal,  altho'   it   is  as  yet  a 
bar  to  appointment,  until  the  just  proportion  is  fully  restored. 
A  letter  begun  with  a  view  to  cover  a  few  deeds,  and  to  say 
a  word  about  elections,  has  led  to  a  length  not  at  first  contem 
plated.     Desirous,  however,  that  the  principles  of  our  proceed 
ings  should  be  understood,  I  explain  them  to  no  one   more 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

willingly  than  yourself,  because  I  am  sure  you  will  use  them  with 
prudence  and  sincerity  for  the  information  and  satisfaction  of 
others  when  occasions  may  lead  you  to  an  expression  of  senti 
ment.  Should  it  be  the  means  of  giving  me  the  advantage  of 
receiving  communications  sometimes  from  you  on  the  politi 
cal  state  of  things  in  your  quarter,  it  will  contribute  to  that 
information  so  desirable  to  myself,  and  so  necessary  to  enable 
me  to  do  what  is  best  for  the  public  interest.  I  pray  you  to 
accept  my  salutations,  and  utterances  of  esteem  and  respect. 

TH.  JEFFERSON. 

Peter's  influence  was  extended  and  widely  felt ;  and 
had  he  any  personal  ambition,  there  is  no  position 
in  the  power  of  the  State  to  give  that  he  could  not 
have  obtained,  if  he  had  manifested  any  desire  for  it. 
Although  Freneau  was  so  well  fitted  for  the  position 
of  an  editor,  he  was  not  so  well  qualified  for  that  of 
a  proprietor,  as  he  was  nothing  of  a  business  man ; 
and  his  friend  adds  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  say, 
at  times  which  was  in  the  greatest  confusion,  his 
private  affairs  or  those  of  the  establishment.  Over 
two  hundred  more  papers  than  were  needed  were 
printed  daily,  and  made  way  with  by  the  slaves  attached 
to  the  office.  In  the  year  1810  he  gave  the  paper  into 
the  hands  of  his  friend  Mr.  Thomas,  and  was  after 
that  time  Director  of  the  State  Bank.  After  the  paper 
had  passed  from  his  hands,  his  intimate  friend  Charles 
Cotesworth  Pinckney  and  Colonel  Lehre  met  at  his 
house,  as  they  were  accustomed  to  do  pending  election, 
but  this  time  it  was  for  a  special  purpose.  Knowing 
how  impossible  it  was  for  Peter  ever  to  say  no,  they 
asked  him  to  request  Mr.  Thomas,  the  acting  editor 
of  the  paper,  to  uphold  a  certain  candidate  they  were 
desirous  of  having  elected ;  and  they  took  this  way  of 
accomplishing  their  end,  conscious  of  the  unwillingness 
of  the  editor  to  further  the  candidacy,  yet  also  knowing 
that  he  could  never  refuse  his  friend  anything  that  he 
asked  of  him. 


Philip  Freneau 


Freneau  for  some  years  held  the  office  of  Commis 
sioner  of  Loans  for  the  State  of  South  Carolina ;  and 
was  several  times  member  of  the  State  Legislature,  in 
which  his  services  were  said  to  be  alike  creditable  to 
himself  and  useful  to  the  State.  Desirous  of  knowing 
how  long  he  filled  the  position  of  Secretary  of  State, 
we  applied  to  the  corresponding  secretary  of  the  South 
Carolina  Historical  Society,  and  received  in  reply  : 
"  Concerning  Peter  Freneau,  once  an  honored  citizen 
of  this  State,  I  gather  that  he  was  Secretary  of  State  in 
the  years  from  1788  to  94  inclusive;1  there  is  no  list 
of  State  officers  for  1795,  anc^  a  new  name  appears  in 
the  office  for  1796.  So  long  a  tenure  of  office  as  was 
that  of  your  honored  relative  Peter  Freneau  is  very 
uncommon,"  etc. 

Peter's  inability  to  say  no,  and  his  readiness  to  oblige 
his  friends,  frequently  got  him  into  serious  diffi 
culties,  as  he  too  often  went  security  for  them  and 
was  thereby  the  loser.  It  was  owing  to  this  virtue,  or 
fault,  according  to  the  different  ways  of  viewing  it,  that 
he  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  was  known  to  lose  his 
wonted  cheerfulness.  An  old  and  dear  friend  had 
indorsed  his  paper,  and  he  became  alarmed  lest  this 
friend  should  suffer  on  his  account.  He  called  upon 
an  intimate  acquaintance  and  informed  him  that  the 
note  would  go  to  protest  that  day,  as  he  was  unable  to 
meet  it  unless  the  former  could  loan  him  the  money 
for  the  present.  His  friend,  not  having  the  amount 
on  hand,  promised  it  the  next  day  and  invited  Peter 
to  dine  with  him,  which  invitation  Freneau  refused. 
Something  in  his  manner  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
other,  and  he  shortly  after  called  at  Freneau's  office. 
Entering  softly,  he  was  not  perceived  until  he  laid  his 
hand  upon  Peter's  shoulder.  The  latter  was  absorbed 
in  his  writing,  and,  starting,  looked  up  into  his  visitor's 
face.  Four  notes  lay  folded  upon  the  desk,  the  upper 

1  Freneau  held  the  office  eight  years  altogether. 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

one  being  addressed  to  the  visitor.  In  a  moment  the 
intention  of  Freneau  flashed  upon  his  friend,  but  he 
pretended  not  to  notice  anything,  saying  quietly, cc  Fre 
neau,  give  me  your  word  of  honor  that  I  shall  find  you 
here  one  hour  hence,"  adding,  "  I  am  on  my  way  to 
the  notary's."  Peter's  face  evinced  how  a  mighty 
mind  could  be  shaken  and  even  overcome  by  the 
tempest  of  adversity,  but  he  gave  the  desired  promise. 
The  friend  hastened  to  the  bank  and  had  the  note  de 
layed  until  the  next  day,  and  hurried  back  to  Freneau's 
office.  The  note  had  disappeared,  and  in  a  slight  de 
gree  the  old  cheerfulness  had  returned.  His  friend 
remained  with  him  till  late,  avoiding  any  allusion  to 
what  had  happened,  merely  saying  that  all  would  be 
satisfactorily  arranged  in  the  morning ;  and  the  serious 
danger  with  which  his  friend  was  threatened  was  never 
known,  and  he  adds,  "  he  lived  to  be  the  delight  of 
his  friends  for  several  years." 

With  talents  fitted  for  any  station,  his  friend  tells 
us,  he  nevertheless  wished  to  retire  from  active  life 
that  he  might  be  able  to  enjoy  seclusion  and  the 
society  of  his  books  and  friends  in  peace ;  conse 
quently  he  began  to  build  a  cottage  in  the  interior  of 
the  State,  intending  to  spend  there  the  remainder  of 
his  days.  Desirous  of  visiting  the  workmen,  although 
dissuaded  by  his  friends,  he  went  there,  trusting  to  the 
perfect  condition  of  his  health  to  insure  him  against 
the  dangers  of  the  miasma,  so  fatal  at  that  time  of  the 
year.  He  remained  there  over  a  week,  and  returned 
apparently  in  perfect  health,  and  with  his  usual  flow 
of  spirits,  but  was  soon  after  taken  very  ill.  The  de 
voted  attention  of  his  friends  and  the  best  medical 
advice  were  of  no  avail ;  he  was  constantly  watched  by 
the  daughter  of  one  of  his  old  friends,  but  Death  had 
marked  him  for  his  prey,  and  on  the  fifth  day  he 
succumbed.  His  strong  constitution  was  so  completely 
exhausted  that  for  some  time  before  his  death  he  did 

["]  [  145  ] 


Philip  Freneau 


not  utter  a  groan  or  even  sigh,  and  scarcely  seemed 
to  breathe ;  and  "  thus  ended  the  life  of  a  man,  who, 
to  transcendent  talents  united  that  amiability  of  tem 
per  and  benevolence  of  heart  that  made  him  the  friend 
of  his  race." 

"This  all  who  knew  him  know, 

This  all  who  loved  him  tell, 
Whose  like  we  ne'er  shall  look  upon  again." 

In  appearance,  Freneau  resembled  to  such  a  remark 
able  degree  the  great  British  statesman  Fox  that  a 
friend  purposely  brought  a  portrait  of  the  latter  with 
him  on  his  return  from  England  to  deceive  his  ac 
quaintances  ;  who,  knowing  Freneau's  aversion  to  sit 
ting  for  his  portrait,  would  exclaim  upon  seeing  it  on 
the  mantelpiece,  "  How  did  you  come  by  Freneau's 
portrait  ? "  and  not  alone  in  physique  did  Peter  re 
semble  the  great  statesman,  but  in  his  mental  calibre 
also.  In  height  he  was  six  feet  two  inches,  and  of 
such  perfect  proportions  and  beauty  of  countenance 
that  one  would  say  "  every  god  did  seem  to  set  his 
seal  to  give  the  world  assurance  of  a  man." 

Mr.  Thomas,  his  devoted  friend,  took  charge  of 
his  funeral,  which  was  largely  attended,  and  he  was 
buried  in  the  French  Huguenot  church  in  Charleston. 
His  epitaph  reads  :  — 

"  Whatever  Omnipotence  decides  is  right. 

"  Below  this  marble  are  deposited  the  remains  of  Peter  Fre 
neau,  Esq.  A  native  of  New  Jersey,  but  for  more  than  thirty 
years  past  a  citizen  of  South  Carolina.  He  was  the  second 
son  of  Peter  Freneau  and  Agnes  Watson,  born  April  5th, 
1757.  Died  Nov.  9th,  A.  D.  1813,  ae.  fifty-six  years  seven 
months  and  four  days.  His  upright  and  benevolent  character 
is  in  the  memory  of  many,  and  will  remain  when  this  inscrip 
tion  is  no  longer  legible.  He  was  Secretary  of  State  of  South 
Carolina  eight  years." 

[  146  ] 


Chapter  Ninth 

THE  year  1789  was  an  important  one  in  Fre- 
neau's  life,  as  during  that  period  there  occurred 
two  events  that  covered  the  entire  course  of 
his  future,  —  the  one  shaping  his  private,  and  the 
other  his  political  life. 

The  first  of  these  events  was  that  of  his  marriage 
with  Eleanor,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Helen  Denise 
Forman,  a  prominent  and  wealthy  family  of  New 
Jersey,  which  had,  and  has  since  that  time,  given  to 
the  country  a  galaxy  of  names  which  have  reflected 
honor  on  the  land  of  their  birth,  and  occupied  prom 
inent  places  on  its  roll  of  honor,  in  military  as  well 
as  civil  affairs. 

Eleanor's  two  brothers  and  cousin  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  War,  —  the  latter,  General  David  For 
man,  being  familiarly  known  as  "  Black  David,''  on 
account  of  his  excessive  severity  towards  those  who 
did  not  favor  the  Revolution.  This  officer  ably  com 
manded  the  New  Jersey  militia  in  the  battle  of  Ger- 
mantown,  which  engagement,  in  reality  a  defeat,  was 
considered  as  advantageous  to  the  Americans  as  a 
victory.  In  it  the  genius  of  Washington  and  the 
bravery  and  discipline  of  the  army  showed  to  such 
advantage  as  to  rank  it  in  the  eyes  of  all  Europe  as 
nearly  on  an  equality  with  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne, 
and  as  to  cause  Frederic  of  Prussia  to  acknowledge 
the  formidable  power  the  American  army  might  be 
come,  as  well  as  to  decide  the  French  Court  to  con 
sider  us  as  allies.1  After  the  war  General  Forman 

1  John  Fiske,  in  Atlantic  Monthly. 


Philip  Freneau 


was  a  member  of  the  Council  of  State,  and  Judge  of 
the  County  Court.  He  was  also  one  of  the  original 
members  of  the  Order  of  The  Cincinnati. 

Eleanor's  eldest  brother,  Colonel  Jonathan  For- 
man,  married  a  sister  of  Colonel  William  Ledyard, 
of  whom  we  have  spoken  in  the  preceding  chapter  ; 
their  grandchildren  were  Horatio  Seymour,  who  mar 
ried  into  the  Bleecker  family,  and  was  several  times 
Governor  of  New  York  State,  and  a  candidate  for  the 
Presidency,1  and  John  Seymour,  who  married  in  the 
Tappan  family ;  his  granddaughters  married,  the  one, 
Judge  Miller  of  Utica  ;  another,  Roscoe  Conkling ;  and, 
a  third  her  cousin,  Ledyard  Lincklaen,  whose  daughter 
married  Charles  S.  Fairchild,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 
during  Cleveland's  first  administration. 

Eleanor  Freneau's  second  brother,  Captain  Denise 
Forman,  married  into  the  Kearny  family  to  which 
Philip's  step-father  belonged.  This  family,  trebly  re 
lated  to  Freneau,  gave  Major-General  Philip  Kearny 2 
to  the  country.  The  daughter  of  Eleanor's  third 
brother,  Major  Samuel  Forman,  married  General 
Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer,  and  her  eldest  sister,  Cath 
erine,  married  Colonel  William  Ledyard,  thus  forming 
a  double  connection  with  that  family.  Catherine's 
eldest  son,  Major  Benjamin  Ledyard,  married  the 
daughter  of  Freneau's  old  college-mate,  Brockholst 
Livingston,  and  consequently  the  niece  of  John  Jay's 
wife  ;  and  his  son  3  married  a  daughter  of  General  Cass. 
Catherine's  other  grandchildren  formed  double  rela- 

1  Governor  Thomas  Seymour  of  Connecticut  was  also  a  relative. 

2  Philip  Kearny  married    Susan,   daughter  of  John  Watts  and  Jane 
Golden  a  sister   of  Cadwallader  Golden.      This  John  Watts  was  son  of 
John  Watts  senior  and  Ann  Delancey  ;  Philip  was  father  of  General  Philip 
Kearny. 

8  A  son  of  this  gentleman  is  now  President  of  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad,  viz.,  Mr.  Henry  Ledyard,  father  of  the  Baroness  Von  Kettler, 
whose  husband  was  killed  in  China,  when  minister  to  that  country  from 
Germany. 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

tionships  with  the  families  of  Seymour  and  Fairchild ; 
and  another  of  them  married  into  the  Fitzhugh  family  ; 
and  through  their  child,  a  triple  connection  was  formed 
with  the  Seymour  family. 

Eleanor's  second  sister,  Margaret,  married  Major 
Burrows.  Major  Gordon,  a  graduate  of  Princeton 
College  of  the  class  of  1786,  was  likewise  a  relative  of 
hers.  Eleanor  is  said  to  have  been  distinguished  for 
her  well  informed  mind,  sprightliness  of  disposition, 
elegance  of  manner,  affability,  and  excellent  conver 
sational  powers ;  and  she  is  said  to  have  retained  these 
qualities,  as  well  as  much  of  her  personal  beauty,  to 
her  old  age.  She  was  intimately  acquainted  with  many 
distinguished  personages,  and  was  a  charming  hostess, 
in  her  husband's  residence  at  Mount  Pleasant  as 
well  as  in  Philadelphia.  Mrs.  Freneau  had  a  poetic 
taste  and  wrote  with  ease ;  her  compositions  are  said 
to  have  been  distinguished  by  character  and  intelli 
gence.  She  corresponded  for  some  time  before  her 
marriage  with  Freneau  in  verse.  An  amusing  anecdote 
is  told  of  her  sprightliness  before  her  marriage.  In 
one  of  Freneau's  visits  she  left  him  to  entertain  the 
other  members  of  the  family,  and,  slipping  from  the 
room  while  he  was  thus  engaged,  she  dexterously 
sheared  off  some  of  the  superfluous  capes  attached  to 
his  outer  garment,  such  as  we  have  already  spoken  of 
as  having  been  in  vogue  ;  whether  they  were  displeas 
ing  to  her  as  being  old-fashioned,  or  for  some  other 
reason,  she  probably  stated  in  the  verses  in  which  she 
commemorated  the  feat,  and  which  she  enclosed  to 
him.  Her  writings  were  consumed  in  the  conflagra 
tion  at  Mount  Pleasant,  but  in  a  paper  of  the  day  *  is 
found  an  extract  from  a  letter  of  hers  to  her  brother 
Samuel,  he  having  removed  with  his  family,  consisting 
of  his  wife  and  one  child  who  afterwards  married 
General  Van  Rensselaer,  to  central  New  York. 

1  Evening  Post. 


Philip  Freneau 


"  I  am  forever  thinking  of  you  and  our  other  dear  friends 
in  that  new  country.1  Had  you  and  they  been  situated  nearer 
together,  and  nearer  to  me,  I  should  then  care  more  for  the 
world  than  I  do.  My  two  little  girls  and  books  are  my  chief 
comforters.  I  wish  it  was  in  my  power  to  send  you  out  as 
good  a  collection  of  the  latter  as  we  have  here.  You  would 
not  feel  the  loss  of  friendship  and  the  want  of  company  as 
much  as  you  do.  We  must  endeavor  to  make  ourselves  as 
independent  of  the  world  as  possible,  and  let  our  own  minds 
furnish  us  with  that  pleasure  which  too  many  are  in  search  of 
abroad.  ...  I  know  you  will  make  the  best  use  of  your  soli 
tude.  Mr.  Freneau  joins  me  in  much  love  to  you."  2 

The  second  great  event  of  the  year  1789  was  the 
adoption  of  the  Constitution,  and  its  consequence,  the 
inauguration  of  Washington  as  the  first  President  of 
the  United  States.  In  one  of  the  centennial  publica 
tions  in  the  year  1809,  it  was  said  that  the  President 
elect  was  met  at  Elizabethtown  by  a  joint  committee 
of  Congress  and  escorted  to  New  York,  and  that 
Philip  Freneau,  who  afterward,  as  editor  of  the 
"  National  Gazette,"  made  it  hot  for  the  Washington 
administration,  accompanied  the  party  across  the  bay, 
and  in  the  excitement  of  the  occasion  probably  huzzahed 
with  the  loudest.  Another  version  is  that  he  came  up 
the  bay  from  Charleston  on  the  day  of  the  proces 
sion,  but  he  would  not  run  up  his  colors  in  honor  of 
the  event.  As  the  subject  is  an  open  one,  we  leave 
our  readers  to  believe  which  they  choose ;  we  prefer 
the  former.  Upon  the  attendant  ceremony  it  was 
Freneau's  relative,  the  Right  Reverend  Samuel  Provost, 
that  conducted  the  religious  services  in  old  Saint  Paul's 
Church.3 

1  Cayuga  and  Cazenovia  Lakes. 

2  This  brother  died  in  Syracuse,  New  York,  in  1862. 

8  It  is  said  that  when  the  question  of  holding  services  on  the  day  of  the 
inauguration  was  agitated  and  Bishop  Provost  was  appealed  to  on  the  sub 
ject,  he  said  that  he  had  always  been  used  to  look  up  to  the  Government 
upon  such  occasions,  and  he  thought  it  prudent  not  to  do  anything  till 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Although  the  oath  of  office  was  administered,  and 
the  Constitution  went  into  operation  the  last  day  of 
April,  it  was  not  until  the  fall  of  the  year  that  any 
important  step  was  taken.  After  the  Cabinet  and 
judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  were  chosen,  the  next 
matter  was  to  decide  upon  the  location  of  the  future 
capital  of  the  nation.  New  York  was  not  willing  to 
cede  the  amount  of  territory  required,  therefore  it  was 
decided  to  remove  to  Philadelphia  for  the  period  of 
ten  years. 

A  certain  writer,1  in  praising  Philadelphia,  and  after 
enumerating  all  the  various  ports  at  which  she  traded, 
her  schools,  and  other  advantages,  adds :  "In  fact, 
there  may  be  obtained  the  knowledge  of  the  arts  and 
sciences,  and  here  may  be  had,  on  any  day  of  the 
week,  tarts,  pies,  cake,  etc. ;  and  no  jealousy  amongst 
men,  and  no  old  maids."  It  seems  quite  evident,  after 
this  panegyric,  why  Congress  selected  this  favored  city 
in  which  to  hold  its  sessions.  Undoubtedly  the  an 
ticipation  of  regaling  themselves  in  their  recesses  upon 
the  tarts,  pies,  etc.,  had  great  weight  with  those  upon 
whom  the  selection  devolved ;  and  does  not  the  fact 
go  to  prove  that  in  reality  woman  was  the  factor  that 
transformed  this  charming  city  of cc  Brotherly  Love  " 
into  the  city  of  Brotherly  Discord  it  eventually 
became,  and  of  introducing  some  jealous  men  into  it  ? 
for  a  writer  has  said,  "  Man  is  what  he  eats,  and  woman 
is  the  caterer."  Tarts,  pies,  and  cake  were  the 
modern  apple,  the  fair  caterer  the  modern  Eve  ;  and, 
tempting  the  modern  Adam,  <c  he  did  eat ; "  and  the 
modern  Eden  became  a  modern  Babel. 

However  it  was,  Congress  in  removing  itself  to 
other  quarters  greatly  discomfited  the  residents  of 

they  knew  what  Government  would  direct.      Eben  Hazard,  hearing  this, 
said  :   "  If  the  good  bishop  never  prays  without  an  order  from  Govern 
ment  it  is  not  probable  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  will  suffer  much  from 
his  violence."      (Bowen,  in  Century  Magazine.) 
1  Gabriel  Thomas. 


Philip  Freneau 

New  York  City.  No  more  public  fetes  and  court 
balls  ;  no  more  state  pageants  and  processions ;  no 
more  president,  senators,  or  legislature.  Freneau,  too, 
was  disappointed,  as  he  had  made  arrangements  to 
edit  a  paper  in  New  York,  called  "  The  Daily  Adver 
tiser,"  but  it  would  seem  from  a  letter  written  by  him 
to  Madison,  dated  July  25,  1791,  that  the  latter  had 
offered  him  some  inducements  to  go  to  Philadel 
phia.  Freneau  writes  from  Middletown  Point,  New 
Jersey,  saying  that  he  is  detained  there-  by  some 
pressing  business,  but  that  if  he  should  meet  Madison 
upon  his  return  to  New  York,  which  would  be  in  a 
few  days,  he  would  then  give  him  a  definite  answer 
relative  to  printing  his  paper  at  the  seat  of  govern 
ment,  instead  of  in  New  York  as  he  had  intended. 
Freneau  eventually  succeeded  in  exchanging  the  "  Ad 
vertiser"  for  the  "National  Gazette"  of  Philadelphia, 
and  the  first  number  appeared  under  his  direction  in 
October  of  the  year  1791. 

The  revenues  of  the  country  had  been  well  drained 
for  the  expenses  of  the  war,  and  the  indebtedness  of 
the  States  amounted  to  eighty  million  dollars,  —  an 
immense  debt  for  an  impoverished  country.  The 
princely  fortune  of  Robert  Morris  had  gone  to  pay 
his  country's  debts,  and  the  fortunes  of  many  others 
had  gone  in  the  same  way.  Affairs  were  bordering 
on  bankruptcy,  the  colonial  currency  had  depreciated 
to  a  few  cents  on  the  dollar,  and  the  treasury  existed 
only  in  name.  Literary  work,  not  being  an  absolute 
necessity,  was  below  par ;  and,  as  we  know,  the  loss  of 
his  fine  ship,  the  "  Aurora,"  had  sadly  crippled  the 
resources  of  Freneau,  who  had  now  a  family  to 
support,  and  an  estate  and  slaves  to  maintain.  It 
may  have  been  to  add  something  to  his  small  editorial 
revenue  that  he  accepted  the  proposition  to  become 
foreign  translator  to  the  Department  of  State,  with  the 
paltry  salary  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

annum.  It  may  have  been,  as  some  thought,  that  he 
accepted  the  position  through  some  political  motive. 
Amongst  the  Jefferson  papers  one  may  find  the  pro 
posal  made  Freneau  in  the  handwriting  of,  and  signed 
by,  the  Secretary  of  State  ;  it  runneth  thus  :  — 

PHILADELPHIA,  Feb.  z8,  1791. 

SIR, —  The  clerkship  for  foreign  languages  in  my  office  is 
vacant ;  the  salary,  indeed,  is  very  low,  being  but  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  a  year;  but  also  it  gives  so  little  to  do  as  not 
to  interfere  with  any  other  calling  one  may  chuse,  which 
would  not  absent  him  from  the  seat  of  government.  I  was 
told  a  few  days  ago  that  it  might,  perhaps,  be  convenient  to 
you  to  accept  it, —  if  so,  it  is  at  your  service.  It  requires  no 
other  qualification  than  a  moderate  knowledge  of  French. 
Should  anything  better  turn  up  within  my  department  that 
might  suit  you,  I  should  be  very  happy  to  bestow  it  as  well. 
Should  you  conclude  to  accept  the  position,  you  may  consider 
it  as  engaged  to  you,  only  be  so  good  as  to  drop  me  a  line 
informing  me  of  your  resolution. 

I  am,  with  great  esteem,  sir, 

Your  very  humble  servt. 

TH.  JEFFERSON. 

Freneau's  appointment  appears  amongst  the  State 
papers,  dated  August  16,  1791,  signed  by  Jefferson ; 
below  which,  in  Freneau V  Handwriting,  appear  these 
significative  words :  "  I  hereby  resign  the  same  ap 
pointment  from  October  first,  1793."  He  had  held 
the  office  two  years,  one  month,  and  fifteen  days. 

In  a  Philadelphia  paper  of  the  times  appeared  the 
following  paragraph  :  "  Thomas  Jefferson  Esq.,  Secre 
tary  of  State  for  the  United  States,  has  appointed 
Captain  Philip  Freneau,  interpreter  of  the  French 
language  for  the  Department  of  State."  It  seems  that 
Philadelphia  no  longer  lacked  "jealousy  amongst 
men,"  for  an  outcry  was  raised  immediately.  C£  A 
combination  between  an  editor  of  a  journal  and  the 
Secretary  of  State  !"  And  they  did  not  let  any  time 

[•«*'] 


Philip  Freneau 


pass  without  letting  Freneau  feel  the  weight  of  their 
displeasure. 

"The  circumstance  of  your  having  come  from 
another  state  to  set  up  and  conduct  a  state  paper ;  the 
circumstance  of  the  editor  of  that  new  paper  being 
appointed  a  clerk  in  the  Department  of  State ;  the 
coincidence  in  point  of  time  of  that  appointment  with 
the  commencement  of  your  paper,  or  to  speak  more 
correctly  its  precedency  —  the  conformity  between 
the  complexion  of  your  paper  and  the  known  politics 
of  the  head  of  the  department  who  employed  you  — 
these  circumstances,  collectively,  leave  no  doubt  of 
your  true  situation ;  the  connection  arising  from  them 
is  too  strong  to  be  weakened  by  any  of  those  bold  or 
even  solemn  declarations  which  are  among  the  hack 
neyed  tricks  employed  by  the  purists  in  politics  of 
every  country  and  age  to  cheat  the  people  into  a 
belief  of  their  superior  sanctity,  integrity,  and  virtue. 
If  you  had  been  previously  the  conductor  of  a  news 
paper  in  this  city  — if  your  appointment  had  been  any 
considerable  time  subsequent  to  the  institution  of 
your  paper  —  there  might  have  been  some  reason  for 
subterfuge,  but  as  matters  stand,  you  have  no  pos 
sible  escape." 

We  all  know  that  at  the  time  of  the  framing  of  the 
Constitution  the  political  world  was  divided  into  two 
antagonistic  parties  :  the  one  calling  themselves  Feder 
alists,  who  believed  in  centralization,  and  the  other, 
anti-Federalists  or  Republicans  (the  name  of  Democrat 
then  being  given  only  by  way  of  reproach),  who 
believed  in  decentralization. 

The  former  party  had  adopted  as  their  platform 
the  principles  of  a  close  and  lasting  union  between  the 
States,  and  a  compact  form  of  government  invested 
with  authority  by  the  State,  and  not  by  the  individuals 
of  which  it  was  composed.  The  English  Constitution 
being  in  their  opinion  the  nearest  to  perfect  ever 

I  '54  } 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

planned,  they  deemed  it  the  most  desirable  one  upon 
which  to  form  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 
They  desired  that  the  President  should  be  elected  for 
life  upon  good  behavior ;  and  that  the  senators  and 
the  governors  of  the  different  States  should  be  selected 
by  the  Senate.  They  wished  the  Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives  to  make  the  laws,  and  the  President 
to  execute  them,  and  that  the  latter  should  have  the 
power  to  veto  the  Acts  of  the  State  Legislatures. 
They  desired  restricted  suffrage,  the  encouragement 
of  foreign  commerce  and  domestic  manufacture,  the 
latter  protected  by  tariff.  They  deemed  it  necessary 
to  have  a  powerful  standing  army,  and  desired  a  dip 
lomatic  service  like  that  of  Europe,  and  that  there 
should  be  great  formality  along  with  the  etiquette  of 
the  foreign  courts,  which  they  thought  necessary  to 
insure  respect  for  authority.  This  party  comprised 
those  who  inclined  to  England  through  kinship,  lan 
guage,  and  hatred  of  France. 

The  anti-Federalists,  or  Republicans,  desired  to  pre 
serve  the  independence  of  the  several  States,  and 
advocated  unity  in  regard  to  foreign  matters,  but 
plurality  in  home  affairs.  They  wished  to  retain  the 
Plan  of  Confederation,  altering  it  to  suit  the  present 
state  of  affairs  and  present  needs.  They  thought  such 
a  centralization  of  power  as  the  Federalists  desired 
would  rob  the  individual  States  of  their  sovereignty, 
and  clothe  the  President  with  too  much  power,  leaving 
the  people  too  unprotected.  They  advocated  the  ex 
tension  of  suffrage,  and  the  encouragement  of  agricul 
ture  and  internal  trade,  rather  than  foreign  commerce. 
They  preferred  the  employment  of  well  drilled  militia 
instead  of  standing  armies,  and  advocated  simplicity 
and  economy  in  the  government,  and  the  doing  away 
with  all  monarchial  forms;  also  open  sessions  of  Con 
gress.  They  charged  the  Federals  with  the  design  of 
establishing  a  monarchy  on  the  ruins  of  the  republican 


Philip  Freneau 


form  of  government,  and  they  even  thought  to  see 
embodied  in  their  plan  certain  principles  which  might 
sustain  this  charge.  They  inclined  to  France,  as  hav 
ing  come  to  our  assistance  in  time  of  need,  and  hated 
England  because  of  her  injustice  and  unnatural  con 
duct  towards  her  colonies,  and  harsh  treatment  of  her 
colonial  subjects. 

The  Federalists  were  in  the  majority  and  were  de 
fended  by  Alexander  Hamilton,  who  was  of  foreign 
birth,  and,  although  free  from  State  prejudices  in  a  con 
siderable  degree,  still  evinced  a  repugnance  to  a  re 
publican  form  of  government.  His  sympathies  were 
pre-eminently  with  England. 

Franklin  had  been  the  originator  of  the  Plan  of 
Confederation ;  it  had  been  his  ruling  idea  for  a  re 
publican  form  of  government  since  before  the  Revolu 
tion,  and  he  desired  its  continuance  in  a  modified  form. 

The  strife  between  the  two  parties  for  the  shaping 
of  the  Constitution  ran  high,  and  very  probably  there 
has  been  nothing  equal  to  it  in  the  history  of  America. 

From  this  strife  arose  a  third  party ;  for  many  feared 
that  such  a  vast  amount  of  power  centralized  in  one 
person  might  lead  to  despotism,  yet  they  were  desir 
ous  of  having  a  closer  bond  of  union  between  the 
States  than  would  exist  under  the  Plan  of  Confedera 
tion.  Of  this  party  Madison  was  the  founder,  and 
his  plan  combined  the  views  of  the  other  parties,  and 
is  the  basis  of  our  present  Constitution. 

All  three  parties  felt  the  truth  expressed  in  these 
words  of  James  Wilson,  although  their  several  appli 
cations  of  them  differed  somewhat :  — 

"We  are  laying  the  foundation  of  a  building  in 
which  millions  are  interested,  and  which  is  to  last  for 
ages.  In  laying  one  stone  amiss  we  may  injure  the 
superstructure,  and  what  will  be  the  consequences  if 
the  corner-stone  should  be  loosely  placed  ? " 

Jefferson   was  in   France  at  the  time,  and  had  no 

[  '56  ] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

part  in  the  framing  of  the  Constitution  ;  but  he  was 
known  to  have  opposed  it  in  its  origin,  and  his  adver 
saries  did  not  hesitate  to  make  known  the  fact  at  the 
time  of  his  supposed  coalition  with  the  editor  of  the 
"National  Gazette." 

u  It  is  a  fact,"  they  wrote,  "  which  the  debates  in  the  Vir 
ginia  Convention  will  testify,  that  Mr.  Jefferson  was,  in  the 
origin,  opposed  to  the  present  Constitution  of  the  United 
States.  It  is  a  fact  known  to  every  man  who  approaches  that 
officer  (for  he  takes  no  pains  to  conceal  it  and  will  not  thank 
you  to  deny  it),  that  he  arraigns  the  principal  measures  of  the 
government  and  it  may  be  added  with  indecent  if  not  indiscreet 
warmth." 

And  he  was  brought  to  task  pretty  severely  for  con 
ferring  an  office  in  his  department  upon  an  editor  of 
a  paper.  It  was  said  to  be  "  an  experiment  somewhat 
new  in  the  history  of  political  manoeuvre  in  the  coun 
try  ;"  and  again,  that  "  a  connection  between  the  editor 
of  a  paper  and  a  head  of  a  department  of  the  govern 
ment  is  indelicate  and  unfit^  and  consequently  of  a 
nature  to  justify  suspicion/* 

In  his  reply  to  a  letter  from  Washington,  in  which 
the  latter  seems  to  have  reproached  him  for  this  con 
nection,  Jefferson  makes  some  very  sarcastic  allusions 
to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  whom  he  seems  to 
hold  accountable  for  the  reproach,  and  then  goes  on  to 
say  :  — 

"  When  we  removed  to  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Pintard,  the  trans 
lating  clerk,  did  not  choose  to  remove  with  us ;  his  office  then 
became  vacant.  I  was  applied  to  there,  for  Freneau,  and  had 
no  hesitation  to  promise  the  clerkship  for  him.  I  cannot  rec 
ollect  whether  it  was  at  the  time  or  afterwards,  that  I  was 
told  he  had  a  thought  of  setting  up  a  newspaper  there  ;  but 
whether  then  or  afterwards,  I  considered  it  a  circumstance  of 
some  value,  as  it  might  enable  me  to  do  what  I  had  long 

[-T57] 


Philip  Freneau 


wished  to  have  done ;  that  is,  to  have  the  material  parts  of  the 
c  Leyden  Gazette'  brought  under  your  eye  and  that  of  the  public, 
in  order  to  possess  yourself  and  them  of  a  juster  view  of  the 
affairs  of  Europe  than  could  be  obtained  from  any  other  public 
source.  This  I  had  ineffectually  attempted  through  the  press 
of  Mr.  Fenno  while  in  New  York,  selecting  and  translating 
passages  myself  at  first,  then  having  it  done  by  Mr.  Pintard, 
the  translating  clerk.  But  they  found  their  way  too  slowly 
into  Freneau's  papers. 

"  Mr.  Bache  essayed  it  for  me  in  Philadelphia ;  but  his, 
being  a  daily  paper,  did  not  circulate  sufficiently  in  the  other 
States.  He  even  tried,  at  my  request,  the  plan  of  a  weekly 
paper  of  recapitulation,  from  his  daily  paper,  in  hopes  that 
that  might  go  into  the  other  States ;  but  in  this  too  we  failed. 
Mr.  Freneau  as  translator,  and  the  editor  of  a  periodical  paper 
likely  to  circulate  through  the  States  (uniting  in  one  person 
the  parts  of  Pintard  and  Fenno),  served  my  hopes  that  the 
thing  could  at  length  be  effected. 

lt  On  the  establishment  of  his  paper,  therefore,  I  furnished 
him  with  the  '  Leyden  Gazettes/  with  an  expression  of  my 
own  wish  that  he  would  always  translate  and  publish  the 
material  intelligence  they  contained  ;  and  I  have  continued  to 
furnish  them  from  time  to  time,  as  regularly  as  I  received 
them.  But  as  to  any  other  direction  or  indication  of  my  wish, 
—  how  his  press  should  be  conducted,  what  sort  of  intelligence 
he  should  give,  what  essays  encourage,  —  I  can  protest  in  the 
presence  of  Heaven,  that  I  never  did,  by  myself  or  through  any 
other,  directly  or  indirectly,  say  a  syllable  nor  attempt  any  kind 
of  influence.  I  can  further  protest  in  the  same  awful  presence, 
that  I  never  did,  by  myself  or  any  other,  directly  or  indirectly, 
write,  dictate,  or  procure  any  one  sentiment  or  sentence  to  be 
inserted  in  his  or  any  other  gazette,  to  which  my  name  was  not 
affixed,  or  that  of  my  office.1 

"  I  surely  need  not  except  here  a  thing  so  foreign  to  the 
present  subject  as  a  little  paragraph  about  our  Algerine  cap 
tives,  which  I  put  once  into  Fenno's  paper.  Freneau's  prop 
osition  to  publish  a  paper  having  been  about  the  time  that 
the  writings  of  c  Publicola,'  and  the  discourses  on  '  Davila'  had 

1  This  letter  was  written  in  1792,  a  year  before  Freneau  retired  from 
the  editorship  of  the  paper. 


NUM»     7?ofVoi 


S  A  T  U  R  D  A  Y.    July  6,   1793.  [Total  Me*..   ,76.] 


«{frN.tK>n.lC.*rur 


FACSIMILE  OF  NATIONAL  GAZETTE 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

a  good  deal  excited  the  public  attention,  I  took  for  granted 
from  Freneau's  character,  which  had  been  marked  as  that  of  a 
good  Whig,  that  he  would  give  free  place  to  pieces  written 
against  the  aristocratical  and  monarchical  principles  these 
papers  had  inculcated. 

"This  having  been  in  my  mind,  it  is  likely  enough  I  may 
have  expressed  it  in  conversation  with  others,  though  I  do  not 
recollect  that  I  did ;  to  Freneau  I  think  I  could  not,  because  I 
had  still  seen  him  but  once,  and  that  was  at  a  public  table  at 
breakfast  at  Mrs.  Ellsworth's,  as  I  passed  through  New  York 
the  last  year;  and  I  can  safely  declare  that  my  expectations 
looked  only  to  the  chastisement  of  the  aristocratical  and  mo 
narchical  writers,  and  not  to  any  criticisms  on  the  proceedings 
of  the  government.  Colonel  Hamilton  can  see  no  motive  for 
any  appointment  but  that  of  making  a  convenient  partisan ; 
but  you,  Sir,  who  have  received  from  me  recommendations  of 
a  Rittenhouse,  Barlow,  Paine,  will  believe  that  talent  and 
science  are  sufficient  motives  with  me  in  appointments  to 
which  they  are  fitted,  and  that  Freneau,  as  a  man  of  genius, 
might  find  a  preference  in  my  eye  to  be  a  translating  clerk, 
and  make  good  title,  moreover,  to  the  little  aids  I  could  give 
him  as  the  editor  of  a  gazette,  by  procuring  subscriptions  to 
his  paper  as  I  did,  —  some  before  it  appeared,  —  and  as  I  have 
with  pleasure  done  for  the  labors  of  men  of  genius.  As 
to  the  merits  or  demerits  of  his  paper,  they  certainly  concern 
me  not.  He  and  Fenno  are  rivals  for  the  public  favor. 
The  latter  courts  them  by  flattery,  the  former  by  censure, 
and  I  believe  it  will  be  admitted  that  the  latter  has  been  as 
servile  as  the  former  severe.  But  is  not  the  dignity  and  even 
decency  of  government  committed  when  one  of  its  principal 
ministers  enlists  himself  as  an  anonymous  writer,  or  para- 
graphist,  for  either  the  one  or  the  other  of  them  ?  No 
government  ought  to  be  without  censors;  and  where  the  press 
is  free,  no  one  ever  will.  If  virtuous  it  need  not  fear  the  fair 
operation  of  attack  and  defence  ;  nature  has  given  to  man  no 
other  means  of  sifting  out  the  truth,  either  in  religion,  law, 
or  politics.  I  think  it  as  honorable  to  the  government  neither 
to  know  nor  notice  its  sycophants  or  censors  as  it  would  be 
undignified  and  criminal  to  pamper  the  former  and  persecute 
the  latter." 

\*59\ 


Philip  Freneau 


It  was  a  time  of  fierce  political  excitement ;  the  new 
Constitution  not  being  in  fair  working  order,  was 
consequently  exposed  in  its  weakest  point,  that  of 
its  infancy,  to  the  attack  of  its  adversaries.  The 
"  National  Gazette  "  is  said  to  have  been,  under  Fre 
neau,  a  powerful  political  paper ;  and  for  Jefferson  to 
have  such  a  powerful  machine  with  which  to  fling  his 
weapons  at  the  heads  of  the  government  did  not 
appear  a  very  agreeable  prospect  to  the  opposite  party. 
In  speaking  of  the  keenness  and  readiness  of  these 
weapons,  Mr.  Benjamin  says,  "  What  Tyrtaeus  was  to 
the  Spartans,  was  Freneau  to  the  Republicans  or  anti- 
Federalists."  Certainly  he  did  a  work,  and  a  great 
one  in  his  own  way,  for  often  what  can  be  accom 
plished  by  no  other  means  may  be  by  ridicule,  wit, 
and  irony  ;  and  these  Freneau  could  always  bring  to 
his  aid.  The  first,  a  German  critic  has  compared 
to  a  blow  of  the  fist,  the  second  to  the  irritating 
prick  of  a  needle,  and  the  third  to  the  prick  of  a 
thorn. 

In  1791  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  proposed  a 
"  Bank  of  the  United  States,"  but  this  plan  Jefferson 
violently  opposed,  deeming  it  unconstitutional  and 
of  a  dangerous  character,  considering  the  feeling  then 
existing  in  the  Southern  States ;  but  Hamilton  carried 
his  point,  and  the  bank  was  chartered  in  the  same  year, 
with  ten  million  dollars  as  capital.  The  anti-Federal 
ists  were  much  opposed  to  this  bank,  and  Freneau, 
who  was  always  able,  when  pressed,  to  bring  his  muse 
to  his  aid,  composed  some  doggerel  for  the  occasion; 
it  probably  served  to  let  off"  a  little  of  his  surplus 
steam :  — 

"  George,  on  thy  virtues  often  have  I  dwelt, 
And  still  the  theme  is  grateful  to  mine  ear. 
Thy  gold  let  chemists  ten  times  over  smelt, 
From  dross  and  base  alloy  they  '11  find  it  clear. 

[f6o] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Yet  thou  'rt  a  man,  although  perhaps  the  first, 

But  man  at  best  is  but  a  being  frail ; 

And  since  with  error  human  nature 's  curst, 

I  marvel  not  that  thou  shouldst  sometimes  fail. 

That  thou  hast  long  and  nobly  served  the  state, 

The  nation  owns  and  freely  gives  thee  thanks; 

But  Sir  !  whatever  speculators  prate  — 

She  gave  thee  not  the  power  to  'stablish  banks." 

Nevertheless,  the  "  Bank  of  the  United  States"  con 
tinued  until  President  Jackson's  time ;  but  he,  having 
always  been  its  implacable  enemy,  vetoed  the  renewal 
of  the  charter  in  1831;  and  at  its  expiration  in  1836  it 
died  the  death,  involving  many  interested  in  it.  This 
act  of  Jackson's  was  considered  a  stroke  of  wisdom, 
but  Freneau  did  not  live  to  see  it  accomplished ;  he 
died  the  year  before  the  renewal  of  the  charter  was 
vetoed. 

One  of  the  criticisms  to  which  the  newly  framed 
Constitution  was  subjected  was  that  of  developing  as 
much  of  a  monarchical  form  of  government,  as  well  as 
its  etiquette,  as  was  possible.  It  was  well  known  that 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  was  in  favor  of  curtailing 
State  sovereignty  and  investing  the  federal  authority 
with  as  great  an  amount  of  prestige  as  was  consistent 
with  a  republican  form  of  government ;  and  that  the 
Vice-President,  according  to  his  own  words,  considered 
the  c<  love  of  superiority  and  desire  of  distinction,  admi 
ration,  and  applause  the  great  springs  of  human  activity, 
at  least  in  all  that  related  to  politics,  and  that  no  govern 
ment  could  be  secure  or  permanent  which  did  not  pro 
vide  for  the  reasonable  gratification  as  well  as  for  the 
due  restraint  of  this  principal  passion ;  and  that  there 
fore  a  certain  mixture  of  aristocracy  and  monarchy 
was  necessary  to  that  balance  of  interests  and  senti 
ments  without  which  free  governments  could  not  exist." 
It  was  also  well  known  that  the  chief  magistrate  in 
clined  to  English  etiquette,  as  well  as  towards  govern- 


Philip  Freneau 


ment  ceremonial.  His  intercourse  with  Congress  was 
modelled  upon  that  of  the  English  kings,  being  in 
person,  —  a  committee  having  first  perfected  all  the 
attendant  ceremonies. 

Washington  has  given  us  a  description  of  the  cere 
monial.  He  drove  there,  he  writes, — 

u  in  a  coach  drawn  by  six  horses  preceded  by  Colonel  Hum 
phrey  and  Major  Johnson,  in  uniform,  on  my  two  white 
horses,  and  followed  by  Messrs.  Lear  and  Nelson  iq  my  chariot, 
Mr.  Lewis  on  horseback  following  them.  In  their  rear  was 
the  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States  and  the  secretaries  of 
the  Treasury  and  War  Department  (Hamilton  and  Knox)  in 
their  respective  carriages,  and  in  the  order  they  are  named. 
At  the  outer  door  I  was  met  by  the  doorkeepers  of  the  Senate 
and  House  and  was  conducted  to  the  door  of  the  Senate  cham 
ber,  and  passing  from  thence  to  the  chair,  through  the  Senate 
on  the  right  and  the  House  on  the  left,  I  took  my  seat. 

u  The  gentlemen  who  attended  me  followed  and  took  their 
stand  behind  the  senators,  the  whole  rising  as  I  entered.  After 
being  seated,  at  which  time  the  members  of  both  Houses  also 
sat,  I  rose,  as  they  also  did,  and  made  my  speech,  delivering 
one  copy  to  the  President  of  the  Senate  and  another  to  the 
speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  after  which  and  being 
a  few  minutes  seated,  I  retired,  bowing  on  each  side  to  the 
assembly  (who  stood)  as  I  passed,  and,  descending  to  the  lower 
hall,  attended  as  before,  I  returned  with  them  to  my  house." 

Mr.  Peter  Gerard  Stuyvesant,  at  a  banquet  in  1839, 
said  that  Washington  seldom  walked  in  the  street; 
his  public  recreation  was  in  riding.  When  accompanied 
by  Mrs.  Washington,  he  rode  in  a  carriage  drawn  by 
six  Virginia  bays  with  two  outriders,  who  wore  rich 
livery,  cocked  hats  with  cockades,  and  powder.  When 
he  rode  on  horseback  he  was  accompanied  by  one  or 
more  of  the  gentlemen  of  his  family,  and  attended  by 
his  outriders.  The  state  carriage  was  of  English  make, 
—  a  very  large  cream-colored  chariot  of  globular  form, 
surrounded  by  cupids  supporting  festoons  of  flowers 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

emblematically  arranged  around  the  panel-work ;  the 
whole  being  covered  with  best  coach-glass. 

This  display,  it  has  been  remarked,  had  the  effect 
of  repressing  the  spirits  of  those  who  approached  the 
chief  magistrate,  and  many  comments  were  passed  upon 
it,  as  it  seemed  to  savor  too  much  of  the  royalty  which 
had  been  banished  from  the  land.  Mr.  Joseph  Dennie, 
the  editor,  remarked  that  "  although  the  genius  of  our 
government  is  republican,  yet  our  conversation  partakes 
much  of  the  old  leaven  of  monarchy."  The  presi 
dential  levees  and  Mrs.  Washington's  parties  people 
thought  "  imitated  too  much  the  pomps  and  maxims 
of  the  Court."  Freneau  held  that  Americans  embrac 
ing  the  new  and  republican  form  of  government 
should  leave  behind  all  that  savored  of  the  maxims 
and  prejudices  of  the  old  regime,  and  become  identi 
fied  with  the  manner  of  life  they  profess  to  embrace ; 
he  therefore  attacked  all  this  ceremonial  most  unspar 
ingly,  going,  it  is  said,  sometimes  beyond  all  bounds, 
and  consequently  drawing  upon  himself  the  attacks  of 
the  opposite  party. 

In  1792  Washington  was  a  second  time  unanimously  / 
elected  president;  and  he  had  scarcely  entered  upon  his 
second  term  of  office  in  the  spring  of '93,  when  France 
declared  war  with  Holland ;  and  in  April  Washington 
announced  his  intention  of  maintaining  strict  neu 
trality;  his  proclamation  to  that  effect  provoked  great 
discussion.  The  French  government,  desirous  of  gain 
ing  the  Americans  to  espouse  its  cause,  appointed 
Citizen  Edmund  Charles  Genest,  written  in  America 
Genet,  as  ambassador  to  the  United  States ;  for,  al 
though  his  father  was  attached  to  the  Court  of  France, 
and  his  sister,  Madame  Campan,  was  in  the  service  of 
Marie  Antoinette,  he  had  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
republican  party.  Young  Genet  was  already  skilled 
in  the  art  of  diplomacy,  having  studied  it  in  the  school 
of  his  father;  and  he  began  to  put  it  in  practice 


Philip  Freneau 


immediately  upon  his  landing.  He  was  received  in 
Charleston,  at  which  port  he  landed,  with  the  greatest 
enthusiasm.  His  journey  to  the  capital  consumed  an 
entire  month,  and  his  progress  was  a  complete  ovation. 

Upon  reaching  Gray's  Ferry  at  Philadelphia,  a  large 
portion  of  the  population  went  out  to  meet  and  wel 
come  Genet,  and  he  was  conducted  in  triumph  to  the 
city,  where  he  was  tendered  an  address  congratulating 
France  upon  obtaining  the  freedom  she  had  helped 
the  United  States  to  secure.  In  the  evening  a  ban 
quet  was  given  in  his  honor,  during  the  course  of 
which  Freneau  was  requested  to  translate  the  French 
ode  written  by  Duponceau,  the  singing  of  which  is 
said  to  have  been  one  of  the  items  of  the  festival. 

The  French  republic  was  looking  anxiously  to  this 
country  for  aid  in  its  conflict  with  Europe,  and  espe 
cially  upon  the  ocean,  where  it  was  conducting  an  un 
equal  fight  with  Great  Britain,  whom  it  looked  upon 
as  a  mutual  enemy;  it  therefore  confidently  expected 
from  the  United  States  the  assistance  it  had  rendered 
her  in  her  time  of  need.  Freneau,  along  with  others, 
was  desirous  of  a  coalition  with  France ;  therefore,  de 
claring  himself  in  favor  of  Genet,  he  threw  himself 
heart  and  soul  into  the  projected  plan  of  uniting  the 
two  republics  in  a  bond  of  brotherhood.  To  this  plan, 
however,  Washington  lent  a  deaf  ear,  and  finding  him 
inflexible,  Genet  formed  the  audacious  design  of  ap 
pealing  from  the  President  to  the  people. 

Encouraged  by  his  warm  reception  in  the  country, 
Genet  strove  to  arouse  sentiments  of  enthusiasm 
towards  France,  notwithstanding  the  refusal  of  the 
President;  how  he  succeeded,  the  chaos  into  which 
he  threw  the  country  can  best  describe.  A  sort  of 
insanity  seemed  to  have  taken  possession  of  the  most 
serious  minds,  and  even  in  the  Cabinet  there  were 
warm  and  violent  discussions.  Jefferson,  fearing  it 
impossible  to  preserve  neutrality  considering  the  ill- 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

concealed  bad  will  of  England,  thought  it  well  to 
secure  a  union  with  France,  that  in  case  of  a  rupture 
we  might  look  upon  her  as  an  ally. 

Genet  now  audaciously  empowered  the  French  con 
suls  throughout  the  States  to  hold  courts  of  admiralty, 
and  try  and  condemn  prizes  brought  to  port.  He 
also  fitted  out  privateers,  and  commissioned  officers, 
and  enlisted  men  in  the  interests  of  France.  He 
organized  Jacobin  clubs,  and  introduced  the  red  cock 
ade,  and  liberty-caps,  in  which  Dr.  Francis  says  he 
himself  delighted  as  an  urchin  to  appear;  and  not 
alone  did  urchins  like  him  delight  in  them,  but  sedate 
men  like  "Robert  Goodloe  Harper1  appeared  in  the 
bonnet  rouge ,  with  grace  and  dignity."  Liberty-poles 
crowned  with  red  liberty-caps  were  also  raised  in  the 
public  places. 

The  popular  dislike  to  England  now  seemed  deter 
mined  to  assert  itself.  All  that  savored  of  that  coun 
try  was  ostracized,  and  in  proportion  arose  an  affection 
for  the  struggling  French  republic.  When  the  French 
officers  made  their  appearance,  or  their  marines  were 
met  in  the  streets,  the  boys  would  cry,  "  Vive  la  Re- 
publique ! "  At  night  the  streets  were  musical  with 
La  Marseillaise  and  La  Carmagnole.  Dr.  Francis  says 
that  he  delighted  to  shout  the  latter  at  the  top  of  his 
voice  while  wearing  the  bonnet  rouge. 

I  have  never  heard  that  Freneau  donned  one  of  these 
caps,  but  the  thing  is  not  in  the  least  improbable. 

Many  French  people  now  came  from  their  colonies, 
and  gave  a  new  impetus  to  American  simplicity. 
Dress,  manners,  and  customs  were  a  la  fran^aise. 
Jewelry,  ornaments,  perfumes,  and  bonbons  were  of 
French  designs  and  make.  French  boarding-houses 
hung  out  their  signs,  and  French  restaurants  were  all 
the  style ;  they  introduced  the  use  of  soups,  salads, 
ragouts,  fricassees  and  olive  oil ;  and  none  but  French 

1  Son-in-law  to  Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrolltou. 


Philip  Freneau 


bread  could  be  tolerated.  Even  the  English  dances 
were  no  longer  in  vogue,  and  the  stately  minuet  gave 
way  to  the  lively  cotillon,  and  public  fetes  were  organ 
ized.  "  In  fact,  it  required,"  as  John  Fanning  Wat 
son  remarked,  "  all  the  prudence  of  Washington  to 
stem  the  torrent  of  passion  that  flowed  in  favor  of 
France  to  the  prejudice  of  our  nationality." 

Party  spirit  rose  during  this  French  period  to  such 
a  degree  that  intimate  friends  became  the  bitterest 
enemies,  and  those  who  had  formerly  always  exchanged 
friendly  greetings  now  crossed  the  street  to  avoid  a 
meeting. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  confusion,  and  in  the  heated 
month  of  August,  that  dreadful  scourge  the  yellow 
fever  broke  out,  and  its  malignancy  spread  terror  in 
all  directions.  The  consternation  which  seized  the 
already  highly  excited  population  is  said  to  be  beyond 
powers  of  description.  Many  fled  from  the  city,  and 
those  who  remained  shut  themselves  up  in  their 
houses ;  and  when  obliged  to  go  into  the  streets  they 
walked  in  the  middle  of  them  to  avoid,  as  much  as 
possible,  the  infected  air  of  the  houses ;  a  cold  nod 
of  recognition  was  all  that  friends  vouchsafed  to  each 
other.  Pedestrians  carried  in  their  hands  tarred  ropes 
or  kept  them  in  their  pockets ;  some  wore  bags  of 
camphor  on  their  persons;  others  chewed  garlic,  or 
held  handkerchiefs  steeped  in  vinegar  to  their  faces. 
In  the  houses  either  gunpowder,  tobacco,  nitre,  or 
vinegar  was  kept  burning,  and  men,  women,  and 
children  puffed  at  cigars  continually.  The  outdoor 
air  was  rendered  lurid  and  heavy  by  the  burning  of 
tar  and  tar-barrels  in  every  street. 

Dead  bodies  were  constantly  met  with  as  they  were 
borne  to  some  open  grave,  into  which  they  were 
dumped  as  quickly  as  possible,  the  graves  or  holes 
being  left  open  for  the  next  body.  The  bodies  of 
most  respectable  persons  were  taken  on  the  shafts  of 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

a  one-horse  chaise,  driven  by  a  negro,  to  be  dumped 
like  the  rest.  Those  fortunate  enough  to  be  taken  in 
hearses  were  unattended,  and  at  their  sight  every  one 
fled  in  consternation.  Masters  sent  their  servants 
away  on  the  first  suspicion  of  the  dreaded  disease,  and 
servants  abandoned  their  masters ;  many  persons  died 
from  lack  of  care,  and  frequently  dead  bodies  were 
found  in  the  streets.  This  dreadful  state  of  affairs 
lasted  from  the  latter  part  of  August  till  some  time  in 
September. 

Notwithstanding  this  terrible  scourge,  there  was  no 
mitigation  of  party  animosity ;  and  Greenleaf  with  his 
"  Argus,"  and  Freneau  with  his  "  National  Gazette," 
only  increased  the  general  consternation. 

Genet,  by  his  imprudent  measures,  obliged  Wash 
ington  to  request  his  recall  ;  but  he  decided  not  to 
return  to  France,  and  instead  become  a  naturalized 
citizen  of  the  United  States.  He  eventually  married 
the  daughter  of  Governor  Clinton,  the  anti-Federalist 
Governor  of  New  York  State.  This  marriage  was 
celebrated  in  the  Walton  Mansion,  as  we  stated  in  a 
previous  chapter.  An  article  on  Genet,  which  we  are 
not  able  to  place,  it  being  a  fragment  written  in  pencil, 
but  undoubtedly  copied,  runs :  "  I  have  spoken  of 
Genet  with  severity ;  he  labors  under  reproach  by 
every  historian  who  has  recorded  his  deeds,  and  by 
none  is  he  more  chastised  than  by  Judge  Marshall ; 
yet,  withal,  Genet  possessed  a  kindly  nature,  was 
exuberant  in  speech,  of  lively  parts,  and  surcharged 
with  anecdotes.  His  intellectual  culture  was  consider 
able  ;  he  was  master  of  several  living  languages,  a 
proficient  in  music,  as  well  as  a  skilful  performer.  To 
remarks  I  made  to  him,  touching  his  execution  on  the 
piano,  he  subjoined  :  c  I  have  given  many  hours  daily 
for  twelve  years  to  this  instrument,  and  I  now  reach 
some  effective  sounds/  He  had  a  genius  for  mechan 
ics,  and  after  he  had  become  an  agriculturist  in  this 

[167] 


Philip  Freneau 


country,  wrote  on  machinery  and  on  husbandry.  He 
assured  me  (in  1812)  the  time  would  arrive  when  his 
official  conduct  as  minister  would  be  cleared  of  its 
dark  shades.  '  To  other  shoulders/  said  he,  ( will  be 
transferred  the  odium  I  now  bear.'  In  a  conversa 
tion  with  him  on  the  vicissitudes  and  events  of  the 
French  Revolution,  he  said :  '  Their  leaders  were 
novices ;  had  they  been  versed  in  Albany  politics  but 
for  three  months,  we  would  have  escaped  many  trials, 
and  our  patriotism  been  crowned  with  better  results.' 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  papers  of  Genet  have  not 
yet  seen  the  light ;  they  embrace  letters  from  Voltaire 
and  Rousseau,  and  years  of  correspondence  with  emi 
nent  American  statesmen,  down  to  the  close  of  his 
eventful  life.  He  died  at  Jamaica,  Long  Island,  in 
1834,  aged  seventy-one  years." 

The  troubles  that  grew  out  of  this  unhappy  season 
caused  a  rupture  between  Hamilton  and  Jefferson 
that  never  died  out,  and  was  the  origin  of  the  two 
political  parties  of  Federalists  and  Republicans,  which 
were  headed  by  their  respective  founders. 

Washington  was  greatly  annoyed  at  the  course  the 
"  National  Gazette "  had  pursued  throughout,  and 
Hamilton  attacked  Jefferson  for  his  official  support  of 
the  troublesome  editor,  to  which  attack  Jefferson  replied 
that  a  man  should  not  be  ostracized  for  his  political 
opinions,  or  for  freedom  of  speech,  and  that  his  paper 
had  saved  the  Constitution  which  was  galloping  fast 
into  monarchy  and  had  been  stopped  by  no  means  so 
powerful  as  by  that  paper,  which  had  checked  the 
career  of  the  monocrats. 

Towards  the  close  of  this  eventful  year  Jefferson 
resigned  his  position  in  the  Cabinet,  and  Freneau  re 
tired  from  the  editorship  of  the  Gazette.  His  work 
had  been  of  a  pretty  hot  character,  but  it  was  directed 
to  the  end  for  which  he  had,  from  the  first,  toiled  and 
struggled.  Mr.  Benjamin,  in  speaking  of  his  efforts, 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

has  said :  "  Amid  all  the  excitement  and  warfare  of 
words  which  attended  the  adoption  of  the  new  Con 
stitution,  we  observe  one  figure  who,  next  to  Washing 
ton,  Jefferson,  and  Hamilton,  appears  to  assume  a 
prominence  superior  to  that  of  all  others  engaged  in 
the  political  contest,  —  not  so  much  by  the  weight  of 
his  intellect,  as  by  his  versatility  and  vivacity,  and 
the  readiness  and  keenness  of  the  weapons  he  brought 
to  the  warfare;  and  in  all  the  history  of  American 
letters  or  of  the  United  States  press,  there  is  no  figure 
more  interesting  or  remarkable,  no  career  more  ver 
satile  and  varied  than  that  of  Philip  Freneau  ;  his  mind 
was  highly  original  and  independent,  and  his  paper 
spoke  its  mind  without  fear  or  favor,  and  even  criti 
cised  the  father  of  his  country,  whom  many  suspected 
of  monarchical  tendencies.  Jefferson  declared  that  the 
paper  had  saved  the  Constitution.  In  the  c  Gazette  '  the 
administration  was  arraigned  in  bitterest  terms.  The 
paper  was  an  immense  political  one  under  him.  Some 
thought  it  all  for  good,  others  all  for  evil." 

It  does  not  seem  that,  there  was  any  personal  feel 
ing  against  Freneau  ;  even  his  adversaries  said  :  "  The 
charges  which  have  been  brought  against  the  editor 
of  the  c  National  Gazette,'  as  he  himself  states  them  to 
be,  are  no  otherwise  personal  charges  than  as  they 
designate  the  person  against  whom  they  are  made.  In 
their  application  to  Mr.  Freneau,  they  affect  him 
solely  in  his  capacity  of  editor  of  a  public  paper  which 
may  justly  be  condemned  in  a  public  capacity  and  in 
relation  to  matters  of  public  or  national  concern." 

In  the  American  Encyclopaedia  it  is  stated  that  in 
later  life  Freneau  had  admitted  that  Jefferson  was 
the  author  of  some  violent  articles  against  the  govern 
ment  under  Washington.  It  has  also  been  stated  that 
Freneau  had  made  an  affidavit  to  the  same  effect  as 
Jefferson's  letter  to  Washington  in  which  he  calls 
upon  Heaven  to  witness  that  he  had  never  written, 

[169] 


Philip  Freneau 


suggested,  nor  dictated  any  articles  against  the  govern 
ment  that  had  not  borne  his  signature.  That  letter 
was  dated  1792,  and  an  article  attacking  Freneau's 
affidavit  was  also  dated  the  same  year.  Freneau's  affi 
davit  and  Jefferson's  strong  denial  may  have  covered 
the  time  up  to  which  they  were  made,  yet  after  that 
event  Jefferson  may  have  written  articles  for  the  paper, 
as  it  continued  under  Freneau  until  the  end  of  Octo 
ber,  1793.  It  is  not  at  all  probable  that  Freneau 
would  perjure  himself  even  to  save  a  friend  dearer 
than  Jefferson.  Through  all  Freneau's  writings  there 
seems  to  be  the  greatest  respect  and  veneration  for  the 
name  of  the  Almighty ;  and  his  hatred  of  untruth  or 
insincerity  in  any  form  is  well  known  ;  it  breathes 
forth  in  almost  every  line  of  his  poetry,  and  often  to 
his  own  prejudice.  He  could  hardly  have  expressed 
his  open  disgust  of  Rivington's  duplicity,  were  he 
guilty  of  false  swearing. 

It  is  pleasing  to  know  that  although  Freneau  bit 
terly  arraigned  the  government,  and  Washington's 
policy,  there  was  no  personal  feeling  between  himself 
and  Washington.  Freneau  always  admired  and  praised 
the  latter's  character,  and  he  has  dedicated  several 
poems  to  him  ;  he  has  mentioned  him  in  highest  terms 
in  others.1  Even  during  the  fierce  times  we  have 
related  there  appears  one  headed,  — 

ON  WASHINGTON,  A  TRULY  GOOD  MAN. 
"Justum  et  tenacem  propositi  virum." 

Freneau's  daughter  Agnes,  Mrs.  Edward  Leadbeater, 
over  a  decade  of  years  deceased,  remembered  having 
seen  Washington  at  her  father's  house,  and  has  several 

1  Some  satirical  verses  against  Washington,  signed, "  Jonathan  Pindar," 
have  been  credited  to  Freneau,  although  it  was  proved  that  they  were 
written  by  George  Tucker,  editor  of  ««  Blackstone's  Commentaries,"  first 
Am.   edition.     These  verses  unfortunately  appeared  in  the  «*  Gazette. 
Tucker  is  well  known  as  an  author. 

['To] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

times,  when  a  child,  sat  upon  his  lap.  She  related  an 
amusing  story  of  an  old  slave  in  her  father's  family, 
named  Aunt  Stine,  who  boasted  of  having  been  ad 
dressed  by  Washington  upon  opening  the  door  for 
him,  when  calling  upon  her  master.  Mrs.  Leadbeater's 
oldest  child  having  been  born  in  Philadelphia,  she  was 
returning  with  it  to  Mount  Pleasant,  Aunt  Stine  ac 
companying  her  to  carry  the  infant.  They  had  taken 
their  seats  in  the  public  coach,  when  the  postilion 
called  out  that  there  was  "a  nigger  inside/'  which  was 
probably  contrary  to  custom.  Mrs.  Leadbeater  turned 
to  her  stage  companions,  strangers  to  her,  and  said 
that  if  her  maid  would  not  be  allowed  to  ride  inside 
she  herself  would  be  obliged  to  leave  the  coach,  as  she 
was  not  strong  enough  to  carry  the  infant.  Her  com 
panions  at  once  expressed  their  perfect  willingness  to 
enjoy  Aunt  Stine' s  company,  and  the  latter,  trium 
phant  in  her  victory,  turned  to  the  postilion,  and  said  : 
"  Guess  she  'd  rode  in  better  carriages  than  that  old 
coach ;  guess  she  had  ridden  in  General  Washing 
ton's  carriage  too."  In  telling  the  story  her  mistress 
added,  she  supposed  Aunt  Stine  had  climbed  into 
the  General's  carriage  upon  one  of  his  calls  upon 
her  father.  The  same  lady  always  resented  it  when 
any  one  spoke  of  her  father  as  being  an  enemy  of 
Washington.  She  said,  on  the  contrary,  he  admired 
and  respected  him,  and  always  spoke  of  him  in  the 
highest  terms.  It  was  only  towards  his  policy  that 
he  was  inimical. 

The  same  year  as  the  withdrawal  of  Jefferson  and 
Freneau  from  political  life,  saw  another  excitement 
before  its  close.  George  III.  had  given  instructions 
to  British  privateers  to  seize  all  neutral  vessels  found 
trading  in  the  French  West  Indies,  but  gave  no 
notification  of  the  fact  to  the  United  States,  and 
American  commerce  was  swept  from  the  seas,  to  the 
great  loss  of  the  Government,  as  well  as  private 

l/7'J 


Philip  Freneau 


individuals.  Chief-Justice  Jay  was  sent  as  envoy  to 
demand  redress  of  the  British  Government,  and  made 
a  treaty  with  Lord  Granville  the  following  year,  which 
was  ratified  by  the  United  States ;  but  it  gave  great 
umbrage  to  many  Americans,  as  they  thought  too 
much  had  been  conceded  to  the  demands  of  Great 
Britain. 

Washington  having  refused  a  third  nomination, 
Adams  and  Jefferson  were  nominated  by  the  two  op 
posite  parties  ;  Adams,  having  the  greater  number  of 
votes,  took  the  presidential  oath,  and  Jefferson,  as  was 
then  customary,  became  Vice-President.  This  election 
was  the  outcome  of  the  question  whether  the  United 
States  should  enter  into  intimate  relations  with  France. 
The  President  refused  the  offers  of  alliance,  but  the 
Directory  demanded  it  and  the  American  minister, 
Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney,  was  ordered  to  leave 
the  country.  John  Marshall  and  Elbridge  Gerry  were 
directed  to  join  Mr.  Pinckney  abroad,  and  along  with 
him  endeavor  to  adjust  matters  peaceably  ;  but  the 
Directory  refused  to  receive  the  ambassadors  save 
upon  the  payment  of  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars 
into  the  treasury  of  France.  To  this  demand  Mr. 
Pinckney  replied  that  the  United  States  had  millions 
for  defence  but  not  a  cent  for  tribute ;  consequently 
they  were  all  ordered  to  leave  the  country. 

The  adoption  of  the  Alien  and  Sedition  Acts,  the  first 
authorizing  the  President  to  send  foreigners  out  of  the 
country,  threatened  to  lead  to  a  great  abuse  of  such 
unlimited  power  in  the  hands  of  one  man  ;  and  the 
second,  which  punished  with  imprisonment  and  fine 
the  freedom  of  speech  of  the  press,  savored  of  despot 
ism,  and  caused  the  administration  to  become  very 
unpopular;  so  that  in  the  following  election  party 
spirit  ran  very  high.  Adams  and  Pinckney  were 
nominated  by  the  Federals,  and  Jefferson  and  Aaron 
Burr,  Freneau's  old  classmate,  by  the  Republicans. 

L 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

The  election  being  thrown  on  the  House  of  Repre 
sentatives,  the  choice  fell  upon  Jefferson.  Upon  as 
suming  his  position  the  President  sent  for  Freneau 
to  come  to  the  capital  on  "  important  business,"  and 
like  the  philosopher  of  old  the  latter  sent  the  verbal 
reply :  "  Tell  Thomas  Jefferson  that  he  knows  where 
Philip  Freneau  lives,  and  if  he  has  important  busi 
ness  with  him/}  let  him  come  to  Philip  Freneau's 
house  and  transact  it."  Jefferson  then  tendered 
him  an  office,  but  Freneau  declined.  He  had  no 
ambition  for  offices,  his  work  was  done ;  he  asked 
for  no  recompense,  and  he  cared  not  for  thanks ; 
he  had  done  what  he  thought  was  his  duty  to  his 
country,  and  all  he  asked  of  it  was  to  allow  him  to 
live  and  die  in  peace. 

In  studying  the  character  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  it 
would  seem  to  be  composed  of  two  elements  continu 
ally  opposed  to  each  other,  —  and  rather  unpleasant 
ones  to  be  united  in  the  same  person.  By  birth  and 
education  he  was  certainly  fitted  to  enjoy  the  first 
society  in  America;  endowed  with  tastes  excessively 
refined  for  those  days,  and  with  the  instincts  of  a 
European  nobleman,  he  nevertheless  discarded  every 
advantage  his  birthright  gave,  for  the  sake  of  his  con 
viction  that  no  man  was  better  than  his  neighbor; 
and  he  mingled  with  common  people  as  their  equal. 
At  an  early  age  the  head  of  a  large  family,  the  ruling 
mind  of  all  he  came  in  contact  with,  ceded  the  highest 
place  in  school,  college,  home,  and  society,  he  was, 
notwithstanding,  an  ardent  lover  of  solitude.  The 
cherished  member  of  a  large  circle  of  friends,  wel 
comed  from  his  youth  at  the  tables  of  the  great,  con 
sidered  an  ornament  to  the  exceptionally  brilliant 
society  of  Williamsburg  (Virginia),  cultivated  and 
shrinking  from  all  that  savored  of  roughness,  he 
nevertheless  shocked  the  sensibility  of  others  by  his 
ultra  simplicity.  Never  allowing  himself  to  deal  with 

['73] 


Philip  Freneau 

the  imagination,  entering  into  the  minutest  detail  of 
domestic  life,  calculating  to  a  brick  the  amount  needed 
for  a  building,  yet  a  poetic  and  artistic  temperament 
dominated  his  life.  Popular  with  companions,  cour 
teous,  cheerful,  and  of  a  sanguine  temperament,  his 
society  said  to  have  been  delightful  to  all  classes,  yet, 
in  spite  of  himself,  making  many  enemies.  Hating 
visitors  and  letter-writing,  he  had  an  almost  feminine 
yearning  for  sympathy.  Strong  in  physical  vitality, 
yet  of  a  feminine  mould  of  character.  Sensitive  and 
peculiarly  vulnerable,  yet  sharp  and  caustic  in  disposi 
tion.  Limiting  the  individual  powers  of  others,  and 
believing  sincerely  in  the  opinion  of  the  multitude, 
yet  given  to  stretch  his  own  powers  whenever  vested 
with  authority.  Without  reverence,  and  even  lacking 
in  respect  for  authority,  he  resented  it  extremely  when 
others  resisted  him.  Never  at  ease  in  the  atmosphere 
that  surrounded  him  in  his  political  life,  and  tortured 
by  its  manners,  he  was  constantly  immured  in  it.  As 
a  leader  of  democracy  he  appeared  singularly  out  of 
place,  resembling  in  many  things  the  Due  de  Lian- 
court,  and  building  for  himself  a  chateau  at  Monti- 
cello  to  be  above  the  contact  with  men ;  yet  his  fears 
of  a  monarchy  and  aristocracy  reached  almost  to  fanat 
icism  ;  with  popular  manners  he  never  showed  himself 
in  a  crowd.  In  the  midst  of  the  world  he  led  a  life 
entirely  his  own. 

Why  such  a  man  should  have  entered  the  arena  of 
political  life  was  as  much  of  a  puzzle  as  was  his  entire 
character.  He  is  said  to  have  been  no  orator,  and 
owed  nothing  to  personal  magnetism.  According  to 
the  received  standard  of  greatness  he  certainly  ranked 
among  the  great  men.  He  is  said  to  have  had  a 
penetrating  mind,  looking  deeply  into  events,  and  a 
clear  judgment ;  he  was  well  read  in  books,  but  better  in 
mankind ;  master  over  his  passions,  a  philosopher,  ex 
perienced  in  diplomacy,  a  master  in  intrigue.  He  is 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

said  to  have  been  double  and  vindictive,  and  insin 
cerity  is  said  to  have  been  his  predominant  trait.  It 
may  have  been  these  latter  characteristics  that  caused 
Freneau,  while  upholding  him  politically,  to  avoid  him 
when  the  political  strife  was  over. 


Chapter  Tenth 


TOWARDS  the  close  of  this  stormy  year,  Jef 
ferson  and  Freneau  both  retired  from  politi 
cal  life;  the  one  returning  to  his  home  at 
Monti  cello,  Virginia,  the  other  to  the  home  of  his 
childhood,  Mount  Pleasant,  New  Jersey, — .leaving  a 
seat  in  the  Cabinet  and  the  editorship  of  the  "  Gazette  " 
vacant.  The  paper  was  discontinued,  as  Freneau,  it 
seems,  owned  the  press  and  type  ;  and  he  had  them 
removed  to  Mount  Pleasant,  where  he  had  a  small 
building  erected  about  two  hundred  yards  from  the 
house ;  there  he  amused  himself  by  putting  in 
print  the  various  inspirations  that  visited  him.  It  is 
said  that  when  any  incident  of  moment  occurred,  he 
would  retire  to  the  shelter  of  a  favorite  old  tree,  and 
indite  his  lyric ;  and  would  then  repair  to  his  press, 
set  up  the  types,  and  issue  his  production. 

He  now  became  a  contributor  to  the  "  Freeman's 
Journal,"  published  in  Philadelphia  ;  and  in  179$  pub 
lished  a  translation  of  the  travels  of  M.  1'Abbe  Robin, 
chaplain  to  Count  Rochambeau,  giving  an  account  of 
the  progress  of  the  French  army  from  Newport  to 
Yorktown.  In  1795  he  published  a  new  and  complete 
edition  of  his  poems,  in  an  octavo  volume  of  four 
hundred  and  fifty-six  pages,  of  which  we  give  the 
titlepage.  The  fifteen  stars  have  their  significance,  as 
we  may  see  from  his  translation  of  the  Latin  verses 
dedicated  to  the  then  existing  fifteen  States. 

This  year  an  almanac  was  ushered  into  existence,  a 
copy  of  which,  yellowed  with  use  and  age,  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  Mr.  Weymer  Jay  Mills.  It  measures 
seven  inches  by  four,  and  contains  forty-two  pages. 
On  the  reverse  of  the  titlepage  are  the  zodiacal  signs ; 


POEMS 

WRITTEN  BETWEEN  THE  YEARS  i/68&  1794 

BY 

PHILIP      FRENEAU 

OF 

NEW   JERSEY 


A  NEW  EDITION  REVISED  AND  CORRECTED  BY  THE 

AUTHOR,   INCLUDING  a  considerable  number  of 

Pieces  never  before  PUBLISHED. 


* 

*      * 

#      *      * 

*      *      *      * 

***** 


Audax  indc  cohors  stellis  e  pluribus  unum 
Ardua  pyramidos  to  Hit  ad  astro  caput. 


MO N  M 0  U T  H 
[  N.  J.  ] 


Printed 

At  the  Press  of  the  AUTHOR,  sat  MOUNT-PLEASANT,  near 
MIDDLETOWN-POINT,    DCCXCV :    and  of 

American  Independence 
XIX. 


Philip  Freneau 


then  follows  a  page  devoted  to  eclipses,  movable  feasts, 
and  the  cardinal  points ;  after  which  is  a  tide-table 
with  an  execrable  bit  of —  poetry ;  it  certainly  may 
not  be  called  rhyme  :  — 

THE   NAMES,    AND    ORDER   OF   THE   TWELVE   SIGNS. 

The  Ram,  the  Bull,  the  heavenly  Twins, 
And  near  the  Crab  the  Lion  Shines, 

The  Virgin  and  the  Scales  ; 
The  Scorpion,  Archer  and  Sea-Goat, 
The  man  that  holds  the  Water-Pot, 

And  Fish  with  glittering  tails. 

An  article  on  the  Planetary  system  follows,  with  an 
account  of  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii.  A  description 
of  the  Prussian  armies,  a  history  of  the  Ugly  Club  in 
Charleston,  S.  C.,  "  A  Philosophical  Speculation,"  a 
dissertation  on  Barbers'  Poles,  a  receipt  for  the  de 
struction  of  weevils  in  wheat,  an  article  on  the  advan 
tages  of  using  oxen  on  farms  instead  of  horses,  a 
method  of  preserving  peach-trees  from  a  destructive 
species  of  worm,  a  Swedish  method  of  breeding  turkeys, 
an  article  on  northeast  storms,  one  on  Indian  corn,  a 
scale  of  the  ages  of  animal  creation,  an  account  of  the 
Bastille  of  France,  a  remarkable  imposition,  and  several 
anecdotes  respectively  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  George 
Whitfield,  and  Dogs  follow.  One  page  is  devoted 
to  the  apochryphal  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Genesis 
by  Franklin,  another  to  the  calendar  of  the  French 
republic.  Some  lines  by  a  young  prisoner  before  his 
execution,  and  a  remarkable  method  of  finding  the 
body  of  a  drowned  person  fill  its  pages. 


['7*1 


THE 
MONMOUTH 

ALMANAC, 

FOR   THE 

YEAR  M,DCC,XCV: 

Being  the  third  after  LEAP  YEAR  ;    and  the 
XIXth  of  AMERICAN  INDEPENDENCE 

(  '  nil  the  FOURTH  of  July  ) 


CALCULATED  for  the  MERIDIAN  of  NEW  JERSEY 
(Longitude  35  Minutes  East  from  PHILADELPHIA,) 
AND  LATITUDE  of  40  DEGREES,  20  MINUTES  NORTH 

NUMBER  I. 


MIDDLETOWN-POINT. 

Printed  and  sold  by  P.  FRENEAU,  near  the  above 
place  and  may  be  had  of  most  of  the  Store-keepers 
in  MONMOUTH  and  the  adjacent  Counties. 


Original  size  of  almanac. 


Philip  Freneau 

THE   PYRAMID    OF   THE   FIFTEEN 
AMERICAN   STATES. 


Barbara  Pyramidum  fileat  miracula  Memphis  ; * 

Heu,  male  servili  marmora  structa  manu ! 
Libera  jam,  ruptis,  Atlantias  ora,  catenis, 

Jactat  opus  Phari  marmore  nobilius : 
Namque  Columbiadae,  facti  monumenta  parantes, 

Vulgarem  spernunt  sumere  materiam  ; 
Magnanimi  coelum  scandunt,  perituraque  saxa 

Quod  vincat,  celsa  de  Jovis  arce  petunt. 
Audax  inde  cohors  stellis  E  Pluribus  Unum 

Ardua  Pyramidos  tollit  ad  astra  caput. 
Ergo,  Tempus  edax,  quamvis  durissima  saevo 

Saxa  domas  morsu,  nil  ibi  juris  habes. 
Dumque  polo  solitts  cognata  nitoribus  ardent, 

Sidera  fulgebit  Pyramis  ilia  suis! 

(Translation) 

No  more  let  barbarous  Memphis  boast 

Huge  structures  rear'd  by  servile  hands  — 

A  nation  on  the  Atlantic  coast 

Fetter'd  no  more  in  foreign  bands, 

A  nobler  Pyramid  displays, 

Than  Egypt's  marble  e'er  could  raise. 

Columbia's  sons,  to  extend  the  fame 

Of  their  bold  deeds  to  future  years, 
No  marble  from  the  quarry  claim, 

But  soaring  to  the  starry  spheres, 
Materials  seek  in  Jove's  blue  sky 
To  endure  when  brass  and  marble  die ! 

i  The  Latin  verses  were  written  by  Mr.  John  Gary,  formerly  of  Phila 
delphia. 

[/&>] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Arriv'd  among  the  shining  host, 

Fearless,  the  proud  invaders  spoil 
From  countless  gems,  in  asther  lost, 

These  stars,  to  crown  their  mighty  toil : 
To  heaven  a  Pyramid  they  rear 
And  point  the  summit  with  a  star. 

Old  wasteful  Time!   though  still  you  gain 

Dominion  o'er  the  brazen  tower, 
On  this  your  teeth  shall  gnaw  in  vain, 

Finding  its  strength  beyond  their  power  : 
While  kindred  stars  in  aether  glow 
This  Pyramid  will  shine  below ! 

In  the  Madison  papers  we  find  a  letter  from  Fre- 
neau,  dated  Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  November  2d, 
1794,  in  which  he  requests  the  favor  of  having  Mr. 
Francis  Bailey  appointed  to  the  post  of  printer  for  the 
House  of  Representatives,  —  he  having  heard  that  in 
all  probability  such  a  person  would  be  wanted.  He 
assures  Mr.  Madison  that  Mr.  Bailey  "is  an  old,  tried 
Republican,  and  has  stood  forth  in  the  worst  of  times, 
both  as  a  printer  and  soldier,  a  friend  to  the  rights, 
liberties,  and  interests  of  the  country.  Such  char 
acters,"  he  adds,  "  merit  consideration  ;  "  and  he  con 
cludes  his  letter  with  some  probably  experimental  and 
very  practical  advice.  "  Permit  me  to  tell  you  that, 
in  my  opinion,  it  would  be  preferable  that  the  whole 
of  the  work  were  entrusted  to  his  care ;  dividing  the 
business,  I  never  could  persuade  myself,  answered  any 
good  purpose ;  and  if  one  such  person  as  Mr.  Bailey 
were  made  responsible  for  the  whole,  considering  his 
attention  and  abilities,  and  the  capital  printing  appara 
tus  he  is  furnished  with,  I  am  convinced  the  House 
would  find  their  account  in  having  the  work  done  by 
him." 

Among  the  very  few  letters  to  Freneau  in  possession 
of  the  family,  we  find  Madison's  reply  to  his  request, 
which  runs  as  follows  :  — 


Philip  Freneau 


PHILADA,  April  6,  1795. 

DEAR  SIR,  —  I  delayed  acknowledging  your  favor  long 
ago  recd,  until  I  could  inform  you  of  the  prospects  of  Mr. 
Bailey  in  whose  favor  it  was  written.  I  have  now  the  pleas 
ure  to  tell  you  that  altho'  his  wishes  are  not  to  be  immedi 
ately  fulfilled,  he  is  looking  to  obtain,  under  the  auspices  of  Mr. 
Buckley  and  Mr.  Randolph,  a  share  of  employment  hereafter 
which  may  be  very  valuable  to  him.  1  congratulate  you  on  the 
public  intelligence  just  recd  from  Holland  which  gives  joy  to  all 
true  Republicans,  and  wish  you  all  the  private  happiness  which 
an  exchange  of  your  former  troubled  services  for  the  shade  & 
tranquillity  of  your  present  life  can  afford.  Remember,  however, 
that  as  you  have  not  chosen  any  longer  to  labour  in  the  field 
of  politics,  it  will  be  expected  by  your  friends  that  you  culti 
vate  with  the  more  industry  your  inheritance  on  Parnassus. 
With  my  best  respects  to  Mrs.  Freneau,  I  remain,  Dear  Sir, 
Your  friend  and  your  S., 

Js.  MADISON,  JR. 

It  seems  the  old  leaven  yet  remained  in  Freneau, 
and  the  republishing  of  his  patriotic  verses  caused  it 
to  effervesce  in  the  form  of  a  diminutive  production, 
printed  in  his  own  little  office  at  Mount  Pleasant.  It 
was  called  "  The  Jersey  Chronicle,"  and  its  first  copy 
appeared  on  the  second  of  May,  1795.  ^  comprised 
eight  quarto  pages,  seven  inches  by  eight,  and  was 
headed  by  a  quotation  from  the  editor's  favorite  poet, 
Horace :  — 

"  Inter  sylvas  Academi  quaerere  verum." 

This  journal  was  issued  weekly,  and  was,  as  the 
editor  assured  his  readers,  "  intended  to  review  foreign 
and  domestic  politics  of  the  times,  and  mark  the  gen 
eral  character  of  the  age  and  country." 

During  the  same  month  in  which  it  first  saw  the 
light  as  a  complete  thing,  Freneau  combined  gratitude, 
business,  and  courtesy  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Madison. 
The  former  sentiment  was  awakened  by  the  appoint 
ment  of  his  friend,  Mr.  Francis  Bailey,  to  the  position 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

he  had  solicited  Mr.  Madison  to  interest  himself  in 
procuring  for  him ;  the  second  was  to  announce  the 
nativity  of  the  seven  by  eight;  and  thirdly  and  lastly ', 
he  congratulates  him  on  his  marriage,  which  had  taken 
place  a  good  part  of  a  year  before.  This  letter  is  so 
characteristic  of  the  man  that  we  will  insert  it  in  full. 

MONMOUTH,  May,  aoth,  1795. 

MY  RESPECTED  FRIEND,  —  By  some  accident  your  kind 
letter  of  April  6th  was  a  long  time  in  finding  its  way  hither, 
having  not  come  to  hand  till  the  iyth.  inst.  I  sincerely  thank 
you  for  the  interest  you  have  taken  in  Mr.  Bailey  —  He  is  a 
good  Republican  and  a  worthy  honest  man,  which  qualifica 
tions,  I  have  thought,  entitled  him  to  some  notice  from  the 
Government,  in  his  line  of  business  —  I  was  heartily  laughed 
at,  however,  a  few  weeks  ago  in  N.  York,  by  some  Aristo 
crats,  for  having  in  my  Letter  to  you  or  Mr.  Buckley,  I  forget 
which,  extolled  his  Military  Services  in  the  late  war.  I  am 
sensible  he  never  cut  off  the  heads  of  Giants  or  drove  hosts 
before  him,  as  some  have  done ;  at  the  same  time  it  ought  to 
be  remembered  that  he  was  an  officer  in  the  Pennsylvania 
Militia  in  the  season  that  tried  Men's  Souls  (as  Paine  says) 
and  I  believe  never  acted  otherwise  than  became  the  character 
in  which  he  acted  — 

I  meet  you  at  least  half  way  in  your  congratulations  on  the 
public  intelligence  received  from  Holland.  It  is  but  another 
step  toward  the  advancement  and  completion  of  that  great  and 
Philanthropic  System  which  I  have  been  anticipating  for  many 
years,  and  which  you  as  well  as  myself,  I  hope,  will  live  to 
see  realized.  When  I  first  went  to  reside  in  Philadf  in 
1791, 1  wished  to  be  one  of  those  who  would  have  the  honour 
and  happiness  of  announcing  these  great  events  to  the  public 
through  the  medium  of  a  newspaper.  A  variety  of  circum 
stances  however,  needless  to  trouble  you  with,  urged  my 
departure  from  that  city  after  completing  a  two  years 
publication. — As  I  mean  to  pass  the  remainder  of  my  days 
on  a  couple  of  hundred  of  acres  of  an  old  sandy  patrimony,  I 
have,  by  way  of  filling  up  the  vacuities  of  time  set  on  foot  a 
small  weekly  newspaper  calculated  for  the  part  of  the  country 
in  which  I  am  —  Should  you  have  any  curiosity  to  see  it  I  will 

' 


Philip  Freneau 


forward  it  to  you  free  of  all  expense  except  that  of  postage. 
I  will  not  make  high  promises  in  regard  to  what  it  may  con 
tain.  It  will  scarcely  be  expected  that  in  a  rude,  barbarous 
part  of  the  country  I  should  calculate  it  for  the  polite  taste 
of  Philadelphia.  —  Should  your  fixed  residence  be  in  Philad? 
I  can  transmit  the  Papers  to  you  once  a  week  by  the  Public 
Post,  who  stops  every  Wednesday  at  my  door.  A  Letter  put 
into  the  Post  Office  at  Philadelphia  on  Saturday  morning,  will 
be  sure  to  reach  me  on  Wednesday.  —  The  public  papers  some 
time  ago  announced  your  marriage  —  I  wish  you  all  possible 
happiness  with  the  lady  whom  you  have  chosen  for  your  Com 
panion  through  life  —  Mrs.  Freneau  joins  me  in  the  same, 
and  desires  me  to  present  her  best  respects  to  your  lady  and 
yourself — and  should  you  ever  take  an  excursion  to  these 
parts  of  Jersey,  we  will  endeavour  to  give  Mrs.  Madison  and 
yourself — "  if  not  a  costly  welcome,  yet  a  kind  —  " 
I  am,  Sir, 
With  Great  Esteem 

Your  friend  and  humble  Serv? 

PHILIP  FRENEAU. 

Freneau  was  an  original  thinker ;  he  combined  the 
quickness  and  brilliancy  of  mind  of  the  French  with 
the  firmness  of  belief  in  his  own  opinions  for  which 
his  Huguenot  ancestors  were  noted ;  and  his  natural 
frankness  of  disposition  caused  him  to  feel  the  ne 
cessity  of  asserting  his  opinion  upon  all  subjects  of 
importance,  whether  others  cared  for  it  or  not.  More 
over,  as  he  considered  his  opinions  correct,  he  was 
naturally  desirous  of  having  others  adopt  them  also. 
Not  being  ambitious,  and  asking  nothing  from  the 
hands  of  his  country  or  its  representatives,  he  was 
quite  indifferent  to  the  latter,  and  desired  only  to 
serve  the  former;  therefore,  he  had  nothing  to  fear 
from  either.  The  "Chronicle"  was  a  spirited  little 
journal,  but  Freneau's  thoughts  were  ahead  of  the 
times,  and  the  fact  of  its  being  carried  on  by  one 
person,  and  he  at  some  distance  from  the  political 
centres,  prevented  it  from  being  a  success.  Freneau's 

[  184  ] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

business  affairs  were  something  like  Horace  Greeley's 
model  farm,  whereof  it  is  said  everything  cost  him 
double  what  he  could  get  for  it;  therefore,  wearied 
of  providing  the  public  with  reading  matter  at  his 
personal  expense,  Freneau  allowed  the  paper  to  die 
a  natural  death.  Before  we  bury  it,  however,  we 
will  quote  one  article  contained  in  its  issue  of  April 
1 6,  1796.  The  person  of  whom  it  speaks,  Captain 
Hodge,  was  a  prisoner  in  the  old  sugar-house  during 
the  Revolutionary  War.  The  article  was  copied  from 
an  English  paper,  and  runs  thus :  — 

"  It  is  with  great  satisfaction  that  we  have  it  in  our 
power  to  announce  to  the  public  the  safety  of  the  crew 
and  troops  on  board  the  c  Aurora '  *  transport,  one  of 
Admiral  Christian's  fleet,  which  has  for  some  time 
been  given  up  as  totally  lost.  Her  masts  and  rudder 
were  carried  away  by  a  violent  gust  of  wind  about 
three  weeks  ago,  and  from  that  time  she  remained  a 
helpless  log  on  the  water,  kept  afloat  only  by  the 
manual  exertions  of  the  people  at  the  pumps.  Three 
vessels  bore  down  to  the  wreck  in  this  intermediate 
space,  but  did  not  —  whether  from  choice  or  inability, 
we  do  not  presume  to  say  —  offer  her  any  assistance. 
On  Tuesday  last,  being  about  ten  leagues  west  of  the 
Lizards,  Captain  Hodge  of  the  ship  c  Sedgely,'  of 
Philadelphia,  was  so  fortunate  as  to  fall  in  with  her,  and 
without  the  least  hesitation  determined,  at  the  hazard 
of  his  own  life  and  that  of  his  crew,  to  rescue  these 
miserable  people,  one  hundred  and  sixty  in  number, 
from  that  fate  which  so  long  had  threatened  them,  and 
which  from  that  time,  they  must  have  met  in  a  few 
hours.  It  should  be  recorded  to  his  honor  that  his 
humanity,  aided  by  nautical  skill,  triumphed  over  the 
dangers  that  awaited  his  exertions  in  the  boat ;  for  he 
brought  the  whole  of  them  safe  to  his  own  ship, 

1  This  name  probably  revived  in  Freneau  tender  memories  of  his  own 
beautiful  ship,  the  "  Aurora,"  which,  indeed,  it  may  have  been. 

\**5\ 


Philip  Freneau 


except  one  man,  who  was  literally  drowned  in  the  boat. 
The  troops  are  Germans,  and  have  behaved  with  a 
sensibility  that  evinces  much  gratitude  to  their  de 
liverers.  They  have  tendered  Captain  Hodge  one 
thousand  guineas,  which  he  has  refused,  saying  that 
he  finds  sufficient  remuneration  in  his  own  breast  for 
the  trouble  he  has  had.  One  of  them,  on  being  asked 
if  Captain  Hodge  treated  them  well  when  he  had 
them  on  board,  exclaimed  :  c  Sir,  this  brave  American 
does  honor  to  his  country  ;  he  gave  us  all  he  had  ;  he 
is  a  king  of  men,  and  we  are  bound  to  kiss  his  feet  as 
long  as  we  live/  After  the  'Aurora*  had  parted 
company  with  Admiral  Christian,  she  had  to  encounter 
most  dreadful  weather.  She  soon  proved  so  leaky 
that  the  pumps  became  useless,  and  it  was  with  the 
utmost  difficulty  that  she  was  kept  above  the  water 
by  all  hands  being  employed  in  bailing.  Such  was 
the  fatigue  experienced  by  the  soldiers  and  crew,  that 
some  are  said  to  have  died  in  consequence.  They 
were  all,  when  taken  on  board  the  American  ship, 
reduced  to  a  very  feeble  state.  At  the  time  this 
friendly  ship  came  up,  the  'Aurora '  was  scarcely  afloat, 
and  every  further  effort  to  prolong  a  painful  existence 
had  been  given  up  by  the  people  on  board." 

One  may  imagine  the  real  pleasure  with  which 
Freneau  commemorated  this  noble  act  in  his  journal ; 
for  no  one  was  ever  more  willing  to  give  praise  when 
justly  due  than  was  he ;  nor  has  any  one  ever  more 
generously  brought  to  light,  or  before  the  eyes  of 
others,  any  heroic  or  virtuous  action.  He  did  not 
wish  this  noble  deed  of  his  countryman  to  fall  into 
oblivion,  and  for  this  reason  we  insert  it  here. 

After  the  obsequies  of  the  Chronicle,1  Freneau  paid 
a  visit  to  his  brother  Peter  in  Charleston,  in  which 
city  he  had  many  friends  and  was  greatly  appreciated. 
Amongst  his  acquaintances  there  were,  we  learn  from 

*  There  is  a  copy  of  this  paper  in  the  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc. 

[iS6] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

an  old  note-book,  several  with  whom  he  was  inti 
mate.  They  were  General  Rutledge  and  the  Pinck- 
neys.  Charles  Pinckney  was  governor  of  South  Caro 
lina  at  that  time ;  and  Thomas  had  just  returned  from 
Spain,  in  which  country  as  U.  S.  minister  he  had  nego 
tiated  the  treaty  of  Ildefonso,  by  which  the  United 
States  secured  the  free  navigation  of  the  Mississippi. 
Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney  had  returned  lately 
from  an  unsuccessful  effort,  along  with  Elbridge  Gerry 
and  John  Marshall,  to  settle  matters  between  the 
United  States  and  France,  to  which  country  he  had 
been  appointed  minister.  The  Directory  were  de 
manding  an  alliance  with  the  United  States,  or,  in  lieu 
of  its  assistance,  a  quarter  of  a  million  in  money,  to  be 
paid  into  their  treasury,  threatening  war  in  the  event  of 
a  refusal.  It  was  in  reply  to  this  demand  that  Pinck 
ney  uttered  these  words  that  have  passed  into  history : 
"  War  be  it,  then !  Millions  for  defence,  but  not  a 
cent  for  tribute/' 

Upon  Freneau's  return  from  Charleston  in  the 
latter  part  of  December,  he  formed  the  project  of  a  co 
partnership  with  Thomas  Greenleaf  in  his  two  papers, 
"  The  Argus,"  a  daily  publication,  and  the  "  New 
York  Journal/'  a  bi-weekly;  but  for  some  reason  the 
project  fell  through,  and  he  assumed  instead  the 
editorship  of  a  miscellaneous  paper  called  "The  Time- 
Piece  and  Literary  Companion/'  While  projecting 
the  co-partnership  with  Mr.  Greenleaf,  he  wrote  to 
Mr.  Madison  in  regard  to  it;  his  letter  is  preserved 
amongst  the  Madison  State  papers,  and  reads  as 
follows :  — 

NEW  YORK,  December  ist,  1796. 

DEAR  SIR,  —  Having  three  or  four  months  since  formed  a 
resolution  to  bid  adieu  for  a  few  years  to  some  old  trees  in 
Jersey,  under  the  shade  of  which  I  edited,  amongst  ditching 
and  grubbing,  a  small  weekly  paper  entitled  the  Jersey 
Chronicle,  I  did  not  know  how  to  employ  that  interval  better 


Philip  Freneau 


than  in  striking  out  here,  with  some  printer,  if  such  could  be 
found,  already  engaged  in  supporting  the  good  old  Republican 
cause.  After  experiencing  one  or  two  disappointments  in 
accomplishing  this  object,  I  am  now,  through  the  kind  aid 
of  some  friends  here,  nearly  completing  the  project  of  a  co 
partnership  with  Thomas  Greenleaf  in  his  two  papers,  the 
Argus,  a  daily  publication,  and  the  New  York  "Journal,  twice 
a  week;  both  on  a  pretty  respectable  footing,  and  noted  for 
a  steady  attachment  to  Republican  principles,  though  open  to 
all  decent  speculations  from  any  party  if  they  choose  to  trans 
mit  them.  In  short  I  would  wish  to  revive  something  in 
the  spirit  of  the  National  Gazette,  if  time  and  circumstances 
allow,  and  with  proper  assistance  hope  to  succeed  thus,  — 

A  Raven  once  an  acorn  took 

From  Bashan's  strongest,  stoutest  tree  ; 

He  hid  it  near  a  murmuring  brook, 
And  liv'd  another  oak  to  see. 

As  I  consider  the  bargain  the  same  as  concluded,  my  next 
object  is  to  make  all  the  friends  here  that  I  decently  can 
among  men  of  eminence  and  ability.  This  I  have  in  some 
small  degree  attempted  and  gained,  but  for  want  of  certain 
insinuating  qualities,  natural  enough  I  suppose  to  some  men,  I 
feel  myself  sadly  at  a  loss  to  get  acquainted  with  some  charac 
ters  here  to  whom  I  could  wish  to  be  known  upon  motives 
of  public  as  well  as  private  utility. 

Among  these  is  the  Chancellor  of  this  state,  Robert  R. 
Livingston,  with  whom,  if  I  recollect  right,  you  are  on  terms 
of  intimacy.  If  I  am  not  mistaken  in  this  point,  and  you  can 
with  propriety  accede  to  my  request,  you  would  confer  a 
favor  upon  me  by  mentioning  me  to  him  in  your  next  Letter, 
in  such  manner  as  you  may  think  best,  so  that  this  new  con 
nexion  may  attract  some  share  of  his  attention,  and  thereby 
the  countenance  of  the  Livingston  family  in  general  which 
would  operate  greatly  through  the  State  at  least,  in  advancing 
our  Subscription  and  printing  Interest  in  general. 

With  sincere  wishes  for  your  long  life,  health,  and  hap 

piness 

I  am  sir,  your  obliged  humble  Servt. 

PH.  FRENEAU. 


T*he  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

The  "  Time-Piece  "  made  its  first  appearance  March 
13,  1797,  and  was  issued  tri-weekly.  It  was  in  form 
a  quarto,  and  besides  editing  it,  Freneau  was  associated 
in  its  printing  and  publication.  During  Freneau's 
editorship  of  this  paper  he  had  a  number  of  lady  con 
tributors,  and  his  office  was  usually  thronged  with  vis 
itors,  many  of  whom  were  applicants  for  favors  of  one 
kind  or  another,  as  Freneau's  kind  heart  and  generos 
ity  were  universally  known.  One  of  these  applicants, 
an  eccentric  person  calling  herself  Deborah  Grennet, 
informed  him  that  she  had  served  during  the  Revolu 
tionary  War,  dressed  in  male  attire ;  and  to  corrobo 
rate  her  story,  she  showed  him  several  wounds  that  she 
had  received.  Freneau  drew  up  a  petition  for  her,  and 
advised  her  to  present  it  to  Congress  then  sitting  in 
Philadelphia.  She  did  so,  and  although  Freneau  had 
not  signed  his  name,  his  writing  was  immediately  recog 
nized  by  several  of  the  members  who  were  his  corre 
spondents,  and  by  their  head,  who  was  Jefferson,  then 
vice-president.  The  petition  received  immediate  at 
tention,  and  Deborah  went  on  her  way  rejoicing,  having 
received  her  pension. 

In  speaking  of  this  journal,  an  English  publisher1 
of  one  of  Freneau's  books  says  :  — 

"  It  appears  at  this  time  in  America  inseparable  from  the 
notion  of  a  newspaper  to  have  an  opponent,  and  Freneau's 
great  opponent  in  the  *  Time-Piece '  was  William  Cobbet 
who  started  up  a  few  days  in  advance  of  Freneau's  paper,  the 
Journal  called  'The  Porcupine  Gazette.'  If  Cobbet  dis 
charged  any  of  his  porcupine  quills  at  Freneau,  it  is  most 
probable  they  were  promptly  returned ;  for  he  was  '  always 
as  ready  to  return  a  blow  with  a  pen  as  with  a  sword,  the 
former  being  as  sharp  as  the  latter.' ' 

The  "  Time-Piece  "  is  said  to  have  given  evidence  of 
Freneau's  ability,  and  his  tact  in  administering  to  the 

i  John  Russell  Smith,  Soho  Sq.,  London. 


Philip  Freneau 

tastes  of  the  public  was  shown  in  the  skill  of  the  selec 
tions  and  the  general  elegance  of  the  material.  Duyc- 
kinck  says  of  it :  "  As  usual,  his  [Freneau's]  part  was 
well  done,  the  Journal  being  well  arranged,  judiciously 
filled  with  a  variety  of  matter,  spirited  and  entertain 
ing;  in  fact,  what  its  title  promised,  —  an  agreeable 
companion  to  an  intelligent  reader.  This  at  least  was 
its  character  while  in  charge  of  Freneau." 

The  press  at  that  time  was  in  a  primitive  state,  like  all 
other  institutions.  Newspapers  were  few,  and  managed 
by  ambitious  political  chiefs  ;  the  sheets  were  small  and 
crowded  with  advertisements, — the  reading  matter,  what 
there  was  of  it,  contributed  by  scholars  and  politicians; 
but  nearly  every  writer  was  bound  by  a  party,  and  many 
years  were  to  elapse  before  the  germs  of  what  is  now 
one  of  the  chief  glories  of  America  acquired  anything 
approximating  a  full  freedom  of  thought  and  action.1 
But  in  that  time  of  political  agitation  attendant  upon 
Adams'  term  of  office,  people  did  not  take  much  inter 
est  in  literature,  and  Philip  was  ahead  of  the  times 
in  which  he  lived.  The  Alien  and  Sedition  Acts  were 
exciting  the  public,  and  the  latter  seriously  affected 
Freneau's  freedom  of  thought  and  expression,  as  it 
threatened  fine  and  imprisonment  for  the  freedom  of 
speech  and  the  press.  To  live  under  such  a  restraint, 
and  moreover  to  edit  a  paper,  was  something  like  har 
nessing  the  American  eagle ;  at  least  it  seemed  so  to 
Philip ;  so,  placing  the  paper  in  the  hands  of  Mat 
thew  L.  Davis,  a  promising  young  man,  Freneau 
plumed  his  pinions  for  flight.  This  was  his  last  perch 
in  undertakings  of  this  kind. 

It  would  seem  that  Freneau  visited  his  brother  in 
Charleston,  S.  C.,  and  that  his  brother  Peter  bought 
and  freighted  a  brig  named  "  Washington  "  in  which 
Philip,  as  commander,  made  many  voyages,  several 
of  which  were  to  St.  Thomas,  W.  I.,  and  two  to 

1  Mrs.  Lamb's  History  of  New  York. 

[190] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Madeira ;  and  from  a  private  memorandum  in  his  own 
hand-writing,  we  find  that  he  sailed  from  Teneriffe 
for  Charleston  in  May  of  the  year  1 804.  This  visit  to 
Teneriffe  he  has  commemorated  in  one  of  his  poems. 
Afterwards  he  sailed  between  Savannah  and  the  West 
Indies,  and  finally  to  Calcutta,  —  after  which  this 
bold  bird  of  the  sea  folded  his  wings  on  his  native 
shore. 

On  our  desk  lie  three  old  volumes  once  in  the  pos 
session  of  the  sailor  poet ;  two  of  them  are  works  on 
navigation,  the  one  a  good-sized  book,  the  second  vol 
ume  of  Robertson's  "  Theory  and  Practice  of  Navi 
gation  and  Marine  Fortifications,"  bearing  the  print 
of  1772.  On  its  titlepage  is  written  in  large  charac 
ters  the  name,  "  Philip  Freneau  son  livre  de  naviga 
tion,"  and  underneath,  the  words :  "  II  faut  bien 
Tesperer,  car  sans  cette  consolation  il  n'y  aurait  qu'a 
mourir."  Two  lines  of  poetry  have  evidently  been 
intentionally  defaced ;  the  first  may  with  difficulty  be 
deciphered,  — 

"  If  God  or  Fate  to  man  would  give,"  — 

the  second  is  undecipherable.  On  the  back  of  a  chart 
is  written,  in  his  peculiarly  beautiful  and  delicate  chi- 
rography,  in  ink  paled  and  yellowed  by  time,  some 
"Remarks  and  Observations"  which  run  thus:  — 

"  The  cold  is  greater  in  the  southern  Hemisphere  than  in  the 
Northern,  because,  though  in  the  same  Latitude  of  each  hemi 
sphere  the  Position  of  the  Sphere  be  the  same,  the  Distance  of 
the  Earth  from  the  Sun  in  the  Corresponding  Seasons  is  not  equal. 
Winter  happens  in  our  hemisphere  when  the  Earth  is  at  its 
least  Distance  from  the  Sun  and  this  circumstance  diminishes 
the  cold.  In  the  Southern  Hemisphere  it  is  the  contrary,  win 
ter  happens  when  the  Earth  is  at  its  greatest  distance  from  the 
Sun  which  circumstance  augments  the  force  of  the  cold :  add 
to  this,  that  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere  the  winter  is  longer 
by  Eight  Days  than  in  the  northern." 


Philip  Freneau 


The  first  volume  of  this  work  is  missing.  Another  is 
"  Atkinson's  Epitome  of  the  Art  of  Navigation,"  an  old 
print  of  1749  ;  on  the  fly-leaf  of  this  book  is  writ 
ten,  in  the  same  hand-writing,  the  same  name  and  a 
"  Table  of  the  number  of  miles  contained  in  a  Degree 
of  Longitude  In  each  Parallel  of  Latitude  from  the 
Equator  to  the  Pole."  We  notice  in  the  extract  the 
custom  in  those  days  of  beginning  every  emphatic  word 
with  a  capital.  On  the  back  of  two  charts  in  this  book 
is  written  a  poem,  if  indeed  it  may  be  classed  as  such, 
which  has  never  seen  the  light  till  now,  when  the  poor 
hand  that  penned  it  has  returned  to  the  dust.  The 
writing  is  fast  becoming  illegible,  therefore  my  readers 
will  bear  with  me  for  reproducing  it  here :  — 

THE   STORMS 

Cease,  rude  Boreas,  blustering  railer, 
List  ye  Landsmen  all  to  me, 
Messmates  hear  a  Brother  Sailor 
Sing  the  dangers  of  the  Sea. 
From  bounding  Billows  first  in  motion, 
When  the  distant  whirlwinds  rise, 
From  the  tempest  troubled  ocean, 
Where  the  seas  contend  with  skies. 

Hark !  the  Boatswain  hoarsely  bawling, 
By  topsail  sheets,  and  halyards  stand, 
Down  topgallants,  quick  be  hauling 
Down  your  staysails,  hand,  boys,  hand ! 
Now  it  freshens,  set  the  braces, 
Now  the  topsail  sheets  let  go, 
Luff,  boys,  luff,  don't  make  wry  faces 
Up  your  topsails  nimbly  clew. 

1  Since  sending  the  manuscript  of  this  work  to  press  it  appears  that  the 
first  four  lines  of  this  poem  are  given  in  Bartlett's  "  Familiar  Quotations  " 
as  emanating  from  the  pen  of  George  A.  Stevens,  an  English  author  who 
died  in  1784.  He  published  a  volume  of  "Songs  Comic  and  Satirical  " 
in  1772,  one  of  which  was  entitled  "  A  Storm  ;  "  it  may  have  been  this 
one,  and  that  Freneau  merely  copied  it.  The  latter  never  presented  it  as 
his  own. 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Now  all  you  on  down  beds  sporting, 
Fondly  locked  in  Beauty's  arms, 
Fresh  enjoyments  wanton  courting, 
Safe  from  all  but  love's  alarms, 
Round  us  roars  the  tempest  louder, 
Think  what  fears  our  minds  enthral. 
Harder  yet  it  blows,  yet  harder, 
Now  again  the  Bosen  calls. 

The  topsail  yards  point  to  the  wind,  boys, 
See  all  clear  to  reef  each  course, 
Let  the  fore  sheet  go,  don't  mind,  boys, 
Tho'  the  weather  should  be  worse. 
Fore  and  aft  the  sprit  sail  yard  get, 
Reef  the  mizzen,  see  all  clear, 
Hands  up  —  each  preventer  brace  set, 
Man  the  fore  yard,  —  cheer,  lads,  cheer  ! 

Now  the  dreadful  thunders  roaring, 
Peal  on  peal  contending  clash, 
On  our  heads  fierce  rain  falls  pouring, 
In  our  eyes  blue  lightnings  flash. 
One  wide  water  all  around  us, 
All  above  us  one  black  sky, 
Different  deaths  at  once  surround  us, 
Hark  !  what  means  that  dreadful  cry  ? 

The  foremast  's  gone,  cries  every  tongue  out, 
O'er  the  Lee  twelve  feet  'bove  deck; 
A  leak  beneath  the  chest  trees  sprung  out, 
Call  all  hands  to  clear  the  wreck. 
Quick,  the  Lanyard  cut  to  pieces, 
Come,  my  hearts,  be  stout  and  bold. 
Plumb  the  well,  the  Leak  increases  ; 
Four  feet  water  in  the  hold. 

While  o'er  the  ship  wild  waves  are  beating, 
We  for  wives  or  children  mourn, 
Alas  !  from  hence  there 's  no  retreating, 
Alas  !  from  hence  there 's  no  return. 

[  '93  ] 


Philip  Freneau 

Still  the  Leak  is  gaining  on  us, 
Both  chain  pumps  are  choaked  below, 
Heaven  have  mercy  here  upon  us, 
For  only  that  can  save  us  now. 

O'er  the  Lee  beam  is  the  Land,  boys, 

Let  the  Guns  o'erboard  be  thrown. 

To  the  pump  come  every  hand,  boys, 

See,  our  mizzen  mast  is  gone ! 

The  Leak  we  Ve  found,  it  cannot  pour  fast, 

We  Ve  lightened  her  a  foot  or  more, 

Up  and  rig  a  jury  foremast ; 

She  rights,  she  rights,  boys,  we  're  off  shore. 

Now,  once  more  on  joys  we're  thinking 
Since  kind  fortune  saved  our  Lives  ; 
Come  the  cann,  boys,  let 's  be  drinking 
To  our  sweethearts  and  our  wives. 
Fill  it  up,  about  ship  wheel  it, 
Close  to  the  lips  a  brimmer  join, 
Where 's  the  tempest  now,  who  feels  it  ? 
None  —  our  danger  's  drown'd  in  wine. 

Besides  different  ports  mentioned,  Freneau  visited 
St.  Croix,  Guadeloupe,  St.  Eustatia,  Cura9oa,  Deme- 
rara,  Cumana,  and  Porto  Cabello.  Upon  his  return 
from  Calcutta  in  the  year  1809,  Freneau,  at  the  age 
of  fifty-seven  years,  settled  down  to  the  manage 
ment,  or  mismanagement,  of  his  estate,  and  the 
care  of  his  little  family,  consisting  of  wife,  four  girls, 
and  his  slaves.  Although  he  understood  nothing 
whatever  of  farming,  he  took  pleasure  in  seeing  the 
work  progress ;  and  he  delighted  in  feeding  the  differ 
ent  animals,  being  a  great  lover  of  nature  in  all  its 
forms.  His  love  for  dumb  animals  and  tenderness 
of  heart  were  such  that  he  always  managed  to  have 
important  business  to  take  him  from  home  during 
slaughtering  season.  Mrs.  Freneau  gave  orders  to  the 
blacks  to  have  the  poultry  for  the  table  killed  in  some 
place  where  he  would  not  happen  to  see  them  in  his 

\ 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

walks,  or  hear  their  cries  during  the  work  of  decapita 
tion.  Freneau  considered  his  excessive  sensibility  a 
weakness,  and  tried  to  conceal  it,  but  he  could  never 
steel  himself  to  witness  any  kind  of  suffering.  One 
day  his  little  granddaughter  l  was  busily  occupied  in 
endeavoring  to  capture  a  fly  that  was  buzzing  on  the 
window-pane,  but  her  grandfather  speedily  put  an  end 
to  her  sport,  telling  her  that  there  was  room  enough  in 
the  world  for  everything  that  God  had  made.  He  was 
a  kind  and  liberal  master  to  his  slaves  ;  the  miserable 
condition  of  the  blacks  in  the  different  ports  he  had 
visited  had  made  an  ineffaceable  impression  upon  his 
mind,  which  was  heightened  by  the  memory  of  his 
own  cruel  captivity  on  the  prison  ship  ;  and  it  caused 
him  unhappiness  until  he  had  given  freedom  to  all  his 
slaves,  which  event  occurred  some  time  before  the 
Emancipation  Act  of  New  Jersey.  After  their  manu 
mission  he  continued  to  support  the  aged  and  in 
firm  amongst  them.  He  could  say  with  Dido,  "  Non 
[ignarus]  mali,  miseris  succurrere  disco."  2 

Freneau  frequently  visited  Philadelphia  and  New 
York,  where  his  acquaintance  with  prominent  persons 
and  literary  men  of  the  times  was  extensive. 

In  1809  Freneau  published  a  new  collection  of  his 
poems  which  constituted  a  fourth  issue  ;  these  he  en 
titled  "  Poems  Written  and  Published  during  the 
American  Revolutionary  War,  and  now  Republished 
from  the  Original  Manuscripts  ;  interspersed  with 
Translations  from  the  Ancients  and  other  pieces  not 
heretofore  in  print."  The  titlepage  of  this  volume 
bears  for  its  motto,  — 

u  —  Justly  to  record  the  deeds  of  fame, 
A  muse  from  heaven  should  touch  the  soul  with  flame  ; 
Some  powerful  spirit,  in  superior  lays, 
Should  tell  the  conflicts  of  the  stormy  days." 


1  Mrs.  Charles  Townsend  Harris,  now  living. 
4  I  learned  from  misfortune  itself  to  succor  th 


the  unfortunate 


Philip  Freneau 


An  author  has  said  these  translations  prove  that 
Freneau  had  not  altogether  lost  the  early  instruction 
in  the  classics  which  he  had  received  at  Nassau  Hall. 
Some  of  these  are  from  Ovid's  "  Tristia  "  and  Lucre 
tius.  Amongst  the  Madison  Papers  is  a  letter  from 
Freneau  dated  the  same  year:  — 

PHILADELPHIA,  April  8th,  1809. 

SIR,  —  I  do  myself  the  pleasure  to  enclose  to  you  a  copy 
of  Proposals  for  the  publication  of  a  couple  of  Volumes  of 
Poems  shortly  to  be  put  to  the  Press  in  this  city.  Perhaps 
some  of  your  particular  friends  in  Virginia  may  be  induced 
from  a  view  of  the  Proposals  in  your  hands  to  subscribe  their 
names.  If  so,  please  to  have  them  forwarded  to  this  place  by 
Post,  addressed  to  the  Publisher  at  No.  10  North  Alley,  Phila 
delphia.  —  Accept  my  congratulations  on  your  late  Election  to 
the  Presidency  of  the  United  States,  and  my  hopes  that  your 
weight  of  State  Affairs  may  receive  every  alleviation  in  the 
gratitude  and  esteem  of  the  Public  whom  you  serve  in  your 
truly  honorable  and  exalted  Station. 

I  remain  Sir, 

with  the  highest  respect  and  regard, 
your  humble  servant 

PHILIP  FRENEAU. 

Freneau  to  Madison .* 

PHILADELPHIA,  May  iath,  1809. 

SIR,  —  After  a  month's  ramble  through  the  States  of  New 
Jersey  and  New  York,  I  returned  to  this  place  on  Saturday 
last,  and  found  your  friendly  Letter  on  Mr.  Bailey's  table, 
with  the  contents.  There  was  no  occasion  of  enclosing  any 
Money,  as  your  name  was  all  I  wanted  to  have  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  Subscription  list.  —  I  hope  you  will  credit  me 
when  I  say  that  the  republication  of  these  Poems,  such  as  they 
are,  was  not  a  business  of  my  own  seeking  or  forwarding.  I 
found  last  Winter  an  Edition  would  soon  be  going  on  at  all 
events,  and  in  contradiction  to  my  wishes,  as  I  had  left  these 
old  scribblings,  to  float  quietly  down  the  stream  of  oblivion  to 

1  Madison  Papers,  vol.  xxxv.  p.  17. 

[106} 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

their  destined  element  the  ocean  of  forgetfulness.  However, 
I  have  concluded  to  remain  here  this  Summer,  and  have  them 
published  in  a  respectable  manner,  and  free  as  possible  from 
the  blemishes  imputable  to  the  two  former  Editions,  over  which 
I  had  no  controul,  having  given  my  manuscripts  away,  and  left 
them  to  the  mercy  of  chance.  —  I  am  endeavouring  to  make 
the  whole  work  as  worthy  of  the  public  eye  as  circumstances 
will  allow.  1500  copies  are  to  be  printed,  only;  but  I  have  a 
certainty,  from  the  present  popular  frenzy,  that  three  times 
that  number  might  soon  be  disposed  of.  —  I  will  attend  to 
what  you  direct  on  the  subject,  and  will  forward  the  ten  you 
mention  by  the  middle  of  July  or  sooner.  —  I  will  consider 
of  what  you  say  relative  to  the  insertion  of  a  piece  or  two  in 
prose,  but  suspect  that  anything  I  have  written  in  that  way 
is  so  inferior  to  the  Poetry,  that  the  contrast  will  be  injurious 
to  the  credit  of  the  Publication.  —  I  feel  much  in  the  humour 
of  remaining  here  about  two  years,  to  amuse  myself  as  well  as 
the  Public,  with  such  matter  as  that  of  the  fat  man  you  refer 
to,  and  if  the  Public  are  in  the  same  humour  they  shall  be 
gratified.  But  I  am  intruding  on  your  time  and  will  add  no 
more  at  present.  —  I  had  almost  said,  — 

Cum  tot  sustineas  et  tanta  negotia  solus 
Res  Italas  armis  tuleris  moribus  omnes 
Legibus  emendes,  in  publica  commoda  fecerem 
Si  longo  sermone  mores  tua  tempora,  Caesar. 

My  best  wishes,  Sir,  will  ever  await  you,  and  in  particular 
that  your  Presidential  Career  may  be  equally  honourable, 
though  less  stormy  than  that  of  your  predecessor. 

My  best  compliments  and  respects  to  Mrs.  Madison,  and 
remain  with  esteem  and  respect, 

Your  sincere  friend 

PHILIP  FRENEAU. 

Madison's  reply  to  these  two  letters,  if  they  were 
preserved  by  Freneau,  were  probably  consumed  in  the 
burning  of  his  house  ;  but  Freneau's  third  letter,  prov 
ing  that  there  had  been  such,  bears  the  date  of  the 
following  August. 

\'97\ 


Philip  Freneau 


PHILADELPHIA,  Aug.  yth,  1809. 

SIR,  —  The  two  volumes  of  Poems  that  in  April  last  I  en 
gaged  to  have  published,  are  finished,  and  will  be  ready  for 
delivery  in  two  or  three  days.  The  ten  Setts  *  you  subscribed 
for  I  am  rather  at  a  loss  how  to  have  safely  transmitted  to  you 
at  your  residence  in  Virginia,  where  I  find  by  the  newspapers, 
you  mean  to  Continue  until  the  end  of  September.  Will  you 
on  receipt  of  this,  send  me  a  line  or  two  informing  me  whether 
you  would  prefer  having  the  Books  put  into  the  hands  of  some 
Confidential  person  here,  to  be  sent,  or,  that  they  be  sent  to  the 
Post  Office  at  Washington ;  or  that  they  be  forwarded  directly 
to  yourself  in  Orange  County.  The  precise  direction  is  not 
in  my  power. 

I  am  Sir,  with  respect  and  esteem, 
Your  obedient  humble  Servt., 

PHILIP  FRENEAU. 
No  80  SOUTH  FRONT  STREET 
or  10  NORTH  ALLEY 
PHILADA. 

Letter  from  Jefferson  to  Freneau  in  relation  to  same  work? 

MONTICELLO,  May  32,  09. 

DEAR  SIR,  —  I  subscribe  with  pleasure  to  the  publication 
of  your  volumes  of  poems.  I  anticipate  the  same  pleasure 
from  them  which  the  perusal  of  those  heretofore  published  has 
given  me.  I  have  not  been  able  to  circulate  the  paper  because 
I  have  not  been  from  home  above  once  or  twice  since  my  re 
turn,  and  because  in  a  country  situation  like  mine,  little  can  be 
done  in  that  way.  The  inhabitants  of  the  country  are  mostly 
industrious  farmers  employed  in  active  life  and  reading  little. 
They  rarely  buy  a  book  of  whose  merit  they  can  judge  by  hav 
ing  it  in  their  hand,  and  are  less  disposed  to  engage  for  those 
yet  unknown  to  them.  I  am  becoming  like  them  myself  in  the 
preference  of  the  healthy  and  cheerful  employment  without 
doors,  to  the  being  immured  within  four  brick  walls.  But 
under  the  shade  of  a  tree  one  of  your  volumes  will  be  a  pleas 
ant  pocket-companion.  Wishing  you  all  possible  success 
and  happiness,  I  salute  you  with  constant  esteem  and  respect. 

TH.  JEFFERSON. 

MR.  FRENEAU. 

1  Twenty  volumes.  *  Jefferson  Papers.     Series  a,  vol.  34,  p.  135. 

[jyf] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 


Freneau  to  Jefferson.1 

PHILADELPHIA,  May  a  7th,  1809. 

SIR,  —  Yesterday  your  Letter,  dated  May  22d,  came  to  hand. 
—  Perhaps  you  a  little  misunderstood  me,  when  I  wrote  to  you 
from  this  place  in  April  last,  inclosing  the  Proposal  Paper,  re 
specting  the  Poems. — I  only  wished  your  name  to  be  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  list,  and  did  not  wish  you  to  be  at  the  pains 
of  collecting  Subscriptions,  further  than  as  any  of  your  neigh 
bours  might  choose  to  put  down  their  names.  — Indeed  the 
whole  Subscription  plan  was  Set  a  going  without  my  knowledge 
or  approbation,  last  Winter.  But  as  I  found  the  matter  had 
gone  too  far  to  be  recalled,  I  thought  it  best  to  Submit,  in  the 
present  Edition,  to  the  course  and  order  of  things  as  they  are 
and  must  be.  —  Sir,  if  there  be  anything  like  happiness  in  this 
our  State  of  existence,  it  will  be  such  to  me,  when  these  two 
little  Volumes  reach  you  in  August  ensuing,  if  the  sentiments 
in  them  under  the  poetical  Veil,  amuse  you  but  for  a  single 
hour.  — This  is  the  first  Edition  that  I  have  in  reality  attended 
to,  the  other  two  having  been  published,  in  a  strange  way, 
while  I  was  wandering  over  gloomy  Seas,  until  embargoed  by  the 
necessity  of  the  times,  and  now  again,  I  fear,  I  am  reverting 
to  the  folly  of  scribbling  Verses. 

That  your  shade  of  Monticello  may  afford  you  complete 
happiness  is  the  wish  and  hope  of  all  the  worthy  part  of  man 
kind,  and  my  own  in  particular.  In  such  the  philosophers  of 
antiquity  preferred  to  pass  life,  or  if  that  was  not  allowed, 
their  declining  days. 

Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  read  the  enclosed  Verses  ?  They 
were  published  early  in  March  last  in  the  Trenton  True 
American  Newspaper,  and  in  the  Public  Advertiser,  of  New 
York. 

I  am,  Sir,  with  all  esteem 

Your  obedient  humble  Servant 

PHILIP  FRENEAU. 

In  New  York  City,  Freneau  was  ever  a  most  wel 
come  guest,  at  Governor  Clinton's  and  at  the  resi 
dence  of  Dr.  Francis,  who  then  resided  in  Bond  Street. 

1  Jefferson  Papers.     Series  2,  vol.  34,  p.  134. 

1*99-} 


Philip  Freneau 


The  latter  generally  had  some  of  the  literati  to  meet 
him  there. 

Dr.  Francis,  in  his  "  Reminiscences,"  describes  Fre 
neau  as  being  somewhat  below  the  medium  height 
and  slightly  stooped,  thin  and  muscular,  with  a  firm 
step  even  in  age  ;  his  forehead  he  describes  as  being 
very  high,  with  soft  and  beautiful  flowing  hair  of  an 
iron-gray  color ;  his  eyes  dark-gray,  deeply  set,  and 
eyelids  slightly  drooping ;  his  habitual  expression 
pensive,  but  lighting  up  with  animation  when  speak 
ing.  He  retained  the  small-clothes,  long  hose, 
buckled  shoes,  and  cocked  hat  of  the  colonial  period 
until  his  death. 

The  same  writer  also  mentions  the  aversion  Fre 
neau  evinced  to  sitting  for  his  portrait,  or  even  having 
it  taken  at  all.  The  reason  for  this  peculiarity  Dr. 
Francis  could  never  fathom  ;  and  Freneau  never  gave 
it.  Although  not  so  strikingly  handsome  as  his 
brother,  who  was  considered  the  handsomest  man 
in  South  Carolina,  Freneau  was,  especially  in  his 
younger  days,  considered  a  handsome  man  ;  yet  he 
never  wished  to  have  himself  reproduced  on  canvas.1 
Rembrandt  Peale  once  waited  upon  him  with  a  request 
from  a  body  of  Philadelphia  gentlemen  to  allow  his 
portrait  to  be  taken,  but  he  was  "  inexorable."  At  a 
dinner  given  by  Dr.  Hosack  of  Philadelphia,  the 
artist  Jarvis  was  concealed  in  the  room  that  he  might 
catch  his  likeness,  but  in  some  way  Freneau  detected 
the  design  and  frustrated  it.  It  was  caught  once  in  a 
parlor,  and,  although  he  acknowledged  it  to  be  a  good 
picture,  he  compelled  its  destruction.  The  picture  in 
this  book  was  executed  after  his  death,  from  sugges 
tions  of  the  family,  and  was  considered  by  them  to  be 
an  excellent  likeness. 

Freneau,  like  his  brother,  was  a  man  of  extensive 
reading ;  his  mind  was  logical  and  philosophical 

1  His  brother  Pierre  had  this  same  peculiarity. 

[200] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

rather  than  credulous;  but  he  was  full  of  imagination 
and  fancy,  and  withal  clear-headed.  In  manners,  we 
are  told,  he  was  courteous  and  refined  ;  and  towards 
ladies,  with  whom  he  was  a  favorite,  he  was  gallant. 
His  general  bearing  won  the  admiration  of  all  parties ; 
his  knowledge  of  the  men  and  events  of  the  times 
was  extensive ;  and  it  is  said  that  few  knew  as  much 
about  the  early  history  of  our  country,  the  organiza 
tion  of  the  government,  and  the  origin  of  political 
parties ;  and  he  could  enter  into  any  topic  of  conver 
sation  that  interested  his  companions. 

"With  Gates  he  compared  the  achievements  of 
Monmouth  with  those  of  Saratoga;  with  Colonel 
Hamilton  Fish  he  reviewed  the  capture  of  Yorktown  ; 
with  Dr.  Mitchell  he  rehearsed  from  his  own  sad  ex 
perience  the  physical  sufferings  and  various  diseases  of 
the  prison  ships  ;  and  he  descanted  on  Italian  poets  and 
the  piscatory  eclogues  of  Sannazarius,  and  doubtless 
furnished  Dr.  Benjamin  Dewitt  with  data  for  his  dis 
sertation  on  the  eleven  thousand  and  five  hundred 
American  martyrs  ;  with  Pintard  he  enjoyed  Horace 
and  talked  of  Paul  Jones  ;  with  Major  Fairlie  he  dis 
cussed  the  tactics  and  charity  of  Baron  Steuben ;  with 
Sylvanus  Miller  he  compared  political  clubs  in  1795 
with  those  of  1810.  He  could  share  with  Paine  his 
ideal  of  a  democracy,  and  with  DeWitt  Clinton  and 
D.  Calhoun  debated  the  project  of  internal  improve 
ments  and  artificial  navigation  based  upon  the  former's 
procedure  of  the  Languedoc  Canal  ;  with  Francis 
Hopkinson  he  talked  politics  and  the  poets  ;  with 
Bishop  Provost  he  interchanged  intimate  conversa 
tion  based  on  kindred  sentiments  ;  and  with  Gulian 
C.  Verplanck,  Cadwallader  Colden,  and  Dr.  Francis, 
he  discussed  old  men  and  old  times  with  rare  ability." 
He  could  relate  Jefferson's  account  of  the  hasty  signa 
tures  affixed  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
which  he,  Jefferson,  attributed  to  the  fact  of  the  loca- 

[201] 


Philip  Freneau 


tion  being  contiguous  to  a  stable,  and  the  signers  wear 
ing  short  clothes  ;  the  flies,  he  asserted,  troubled  their 
long  hose  to  such  a  degree  as  to  keep  them  continu 
ally  switching  them  off  with  their  handkerchiefs.  Mr. 
Jefferson  acknowledged  that  he  affixed  his  signature 
as  quickly  as  possible  and  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  Old 
New  York  was  an  ever  interesting  theme  with  Fre 
neau,  and  his  dear  friend  and  room-mate,  James  Mad 
ison,  was  a  particularly  pleasant  one ;  he  described 
him  as  being  of  a  very  retiring  disposition  and  fond 
of  skating,  it  being  his  only  recreation.  According  to 
him,  Madison  could  never  be  induced  to  appear  upon 
the  stage  to  debate  with  the  other  students,  although 
in  after  years  his  training  in  the  House  of  Representa 
tives  and  in  the  various  Congresses  and  councils  of 
state  caused  him  to  acquire  a  habit  of  self-possession 
which  facilitated  the  use  of  the  rich  resources  of  his 
brilliant  and  discriminating  mind ;  and  his  extensive 
information  caused  him  to  become  the  centre  of  every 
assembly  of  which  he  was  a  member.  His  early  se 
clusion  had  the  effect  of  giving  him  such  a  close  appli 
cation  to  the  thread  of  his  subject  that  he  never 
wandered  from  it,  but  ever  followed  it  in  the  purest 
and  most  classical  language ;  and  his  gentleness  and 
kindly  expressions  and  manner  caused  even  his  ad 
versaries  to  feel  kindly  disposed  towards  him.  His 
spotless  virtue  never  allowed  calumny  a  momentary 
resting-place.  He  was  the  only  one  of  Freneau's 
contemporaries  that  outlived  him.1 

Extremely  hospitable,  Freneau  always  warmly  wel 
comed  his  friends  at  Mount  Pleasant,  where  he  de 
voted  his  declining  years  to  reading  and  answering 
his  numerous  correspondents,  and  in  occasionally 
penning  an  article  for  the  press.  He  always  retained 
his  original  frankness  in  expressing  himself,  but  it  was 

1  Although  Madison  graduated  the  same  year  with  Philip,  he  re 
mained  another  year  at  college. 

[202} 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

softened  down  considerably  as  he  advanced  in  years. 
In  fact  it  was  his  pen,  as  some  author  has  said,  more 
than  his  heart  that  was  so  acrimonious  in  his  early 
years ;  no  personal  malice  ever  rested  in  his  mind, 
and  he  was  ever  ready  to  pardon  those  who  had  in 
jured  him.  Even  his  adversaries,  some  of  whom  he 
had  treated  pretty  roughly  with  his  pen  in  early  days, 
in  later  times  claimed  him  as  a  friend.  In  his  friend 
ships  he  was  ardent  and  sincere,  and  they  were  usually 
life-long. 

Freneau  lived  to  see  his  classmate  Burr  tried  for 
treason,  and  finally  stain  his  hand  in  the  blood  of  his 
own  old  adversary,  Alexander  Hamilton.  He  saw  his 
room-mate  on  the  presidential  chair,  and  others  filling 
the  first  places  in  the  States ;  and  he  rejoiced  in  their 
honors,  desiring  none  for  himself  and  refusing  those 
that  were  offered  him.  He  saw  the  white  sails  give 
place  to  iron-bound  steam,  and  the  old  printing- 
presses  he  had  once  manipulated  moved  by  the 
same  power.  He  saw  his  contemporaries  pass  away 
before  him,  and  he  laid  in  turn  his  own  dear  ones 
to  rest.  He  sang  the  events  of  the  second  great  war, 
and  decked  with  the  laurel  of  his  song  the  brave  and 
gallant  deeds  of  his  countrymen.  He  saw  the  flames 
consume  the  home  of  his  childhood  till  it  lay  in  ashes 
at  his  feet,  and  his  aged  hand  closed  the  record  his  boy 
ish  one  had  commenced  in  the  Bible  of  his  fathers : 

"  Old  house  at  Mount  Pleasant  took  fire  Sunday  afternoon 
at  four  o'clock,  Oct.  i8th  1818.  It  was  burned  to  the  ground 
with  a  large  quantity  of  valuable  property  therein.  Said  old 
house  was  built  in  1752  by  my  father." 

Freneau,  like  most  persons  of  intellect,  education, 
and  energy,  had  from  his  earliest  years  of  public  life 
associated  mostly  with  persons  much  in  advance  of 
him  in  years;  consequently,  as  we  have  seen,  many 
passed  away  before  him ;  which  fact  he  sadly  alludes 

[  203  } 


Philip  Freneau 


to  in  a  letter  to  Madison  dated  three  years  before  he 
saw  the  home  of  his  father  laid  in  ashes.  The 
letter  refers  to  two  volumes  of  poems  published  by 
Freneau,  commemorating  the  stirring  events  of  the 
war  of  1812.  In  these  poems,  with  his  usual  freedom 
from  all  sentiments  of  jealousy,  he  celebrates  the  naval 
actions  of  Hull,  Porter,  and  Macdonough.  These 
books  were  printed  by  David  Longworth  in  1815, 
entitled  "  A  Collection  of  Poems  on  American  Affairs 
and  a  Variety  of  other  Subjects,  written  between  the 
years  1797  and  the  present  time/' 

Freneau  to  Madison. 

MOUNT  PLEASANT,  NEAR  MIDDLETOWN  POINT. 
MONMOUTH  COUNTY,  NEW  JERSEY,  JANUARY  izth,  1815. 

SIR,  —  Since  my  last  return  from  the  Canary  Islands  in 
1807  to  Charleston  and  from  thence  to  New  York,  with  my 
Brigantine  Washington,  quitting  the  bustle  and  distraction  of 
active  life,  my  walks  have  been  confined,  with  now  and  then 
a  short  excursion,  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Never  Sink 
hills,  and  under  some  old  hereditary  trees,  and  on  some  fields, 
which  I  well  recollect  for  sixty  years.  During  the  last  Seven 
Years  my  pen  could  not  be  entirely  idle,  and  for  amusement 
only  now  and  then  I  had  recourse  to  my  old  habit  of  scrib 
bling  verses.  A  Bookseller  in  New  York,  Mr.  Longworth, 
by  some  means  discovered  this,  and  has  prevailed  on  me  to 
put  my  papers  into  his  hands  for  publication.  With  some 
reluctance  I  consented  to  gratify  his  wish,  altho'  I  think 
after  the  age  of  fifty,  or  thereabouts,  the  vanity  of  authorship 
ought  to  cease,  at  least  it  has  been  the  case  with  myself. 
Mr.  Longworth  informs  me  the  work  will  be  published  early 
in  February  in  two  duodecimo  volumes.  I  have  directed  him, 
when  done,  to  forward  a  copy  to  yourself,  of  which  I  beg 
your  acceptance.  I  do  not  know  that  the  Verses  are  of  any 
superior  or  very  unusual  merit,  but  he  tells  me  the  Town  will 
have  them ;  and  of  course,  have  them  they  will,  and  must, 
it  seems.  The  Work  cannot  be  very  tedious,  for  in  two  small 
Volumes  there  will  be  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  thirty 

[204] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Poems  on  different  subjects,  moral,  political,  or  merely  amus 
ing,  and  not  a  few  upon  the  events  of  the  times  since  May 
1812.  However,  you  know  a  short  production  may  some 
times  be  tedious,  and  a  long  one  very  lively  and  captivating. 
None  of  my  effusions  in  these  Volumes  much  exceed  two  hun 
dred  lines,  and  several  do  not  reach  more  than  the  fourth  part 
of  that  number  of  lines. 

When  I  left  Philadelphia,  about  the  middle  of  September 
1809,  the  ten  copies  of  the  Revolutionary  Poems,  which  you 
subscribed  for,  were  put  into  a  box  well  secured,  and  for 
warded  according  to  your  direction,  under  the  care  of  General 
Steele,  then  Collector  of  the  Port  of  Philadelphia ;  I  have  not 
since  heard  whether  they  reached  you  or  not. 

That  Edition  was  published  by  Subscription  merely  for  the 
benefit  of,  and  to  assist  Mrs.  Bailey,  an  unfortunate  but  deserv 
ing  widowed  female,  niece  to  General  Steele,  and  this  con 
sideration  alone  induced  me  to  pay  some  attention  to  that 
third  Edition.  —  But,  in  mentioning  these  matters  I  fear  I  am 
intruding  both  on  your  time  and  patience,  constantly,  or 
always  perpetually  engaged,  as  you  undoubtedly  are,  in  the 
duties  of  your  station  at  a  stormy  period,  a  tempestuous 
Presidency  indeed  !  May  you  weather  all  the  conflicts  of 
these  mighty  times,  and  return  safe  at  the  proper  period  to 
your  Virginia  Groves,  fields,  and  streams  :  sure  I  am,  different 
very  different  indeed  from  your  long  intercourse  with  political 
Life  and  the  affairs  of  a  "  grumbling  Hive."  My  best  wishes 
attend  Yourself,  and  Mrs.  Madison,  to  whom,  tho'  I  never 
had  the  pleasure  of  her  acquaintance,  I  beg  you  to  present  my 
best  compliments  and  regards. 

I  remain,  Sir,  (I  hardly  need  to  say) 
with  great  esteem  and  respect, 
Your  obedient,  humble  Servant, 

PHILIP  FRENEAU. 
HONBLE-  JAMES  MADISON, 
Washington. 

Freneau  to  Madison. 

NEW  YORK,  March  3d,  1815. 

SIR,  —  When  I  mentioned  in  my  few  lines  to  you,  dated 
from  my  residence  in  New  Jersey  on  the  22d  of  January  last, 
the  two  Volumes  of  Poems  publishing  in  this  city  by  Mr. 

[*»/] 


Philip  Freneau 


Longworth,  I  did  really  think  to  have  had  a  small  box  of 
them  at  Washington  by  the  middle  of  February  at  farthest, 
with  a  particular  direction  of  a  couple  of  copies  to  Yourself 
bound  in  an  elegant  manner.  Finding,  however,  that  the 
business  went  on  slowly  here,  and  a  little  vexed  to  be  under 
the  necessity  of  leaving  my  Solitude  and  the  wild  scenes  of 
nature  in  New  Jersey  for  the  ever  execrated  streets  and  com 
pany  of  this  Capital,  I  embarked  near  Sandy  Hook  in  a  snow 
storm,  about  the  last  of  January,  and  shortly  after  arrived  here, 
fortunately  unnoticed  and  almost  unknown.  ...  At  my  time 
of  life,  63  !  !  !  abounding  however  in  all  the  powers  of  health 
and  vigour,  though  I  consider  my  poetry  and  poems  as  mere 
trifles,  I  was  seriously  out  of  humour  on  my  arrival  here  to 
see  my  work  delayed,  as  well  from  the  severity  of  the  cold, 
which  has  been  unremitting  for  more  than  a  month  past,  and 
perhaps  to  some  other  causes  it  would  not  be  prudent  here  to 
explain. 

By  my  incessant  exertions  in  spurring  on  the  indolence  of 
typography,  the  work,  such  as  it  is,  is  now  finished,  in  two 
small  Volumes  of  about  180  pages  each.  —  The  moment  they 
are  out  of  the  bookbinder's  hands,  Mr.  Longworth  will  for 
ward  you  a  Copy,  and  by  the  first  Vessel  to  Alexandria,  George 
town,  or  Washington  a  Box  of  them  to  his  correspondents  in 
these  places.  A  Copy  or  two  of  the  Revolutionary  poems  will 
be  forwarded  to  your  direction.  I  am  sorry  the  Copies  you  had 
were  doomed  to  the  flames,  but  the  author  had  nearly  suffered 
the  same  fate  in  the  year  1780.  Yesterday  I  received  from 
New  Jersey  a  Copy  of  your  friendly  Letter  of  the  ist.  February. 
A  Copy,  I  say,  for  my  wife,  or  some  one  of  my  four  Girls, 
daughters,  would  not  forward  me  the  original,  but  keep  it  until 
my  return  for  fear  of  accidents.  To-morrow  morning  I 
embark  again  for  Monmouth,  and  among  other  cares,  when  I 
arrive  at  my  magical  grove,  I  shall  hasten  to  exert  all  the 
poetical  energy  I  possess,  on  the  grand  Subject  of  the  Repulse 
of  the  British  Army  from  New  Orleans.  There  is  a  subject 
indeed  !  far  above  my  power,  I  fear.  If  there  be  anything  in 
inspiration,  it  will  be  needful  on  such  a  theme.  Eight  hundred 
lines  in  Heroic  Measure  I  mean  to  devote  to  this  animating 
subject.  In  due  time  you  shall  hear  more  from  me  on  this 
business  if  I  am  not  anticipated  by  some  one  more  muse  be- 

[206] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

loved  than  myself.  Hoping  that  all  health  and  happiness  may 
attend  you,  and  that  your  Libraries  in  future  may  escape  the 
ravages  of  the  flames  of  Goths  and  Barbarians, 

I  remain  dear  Sir 
Your  obedt.  humble  servant, 

PHILIP  FRENEAU. 

One  more  letter  to  Madison  concludes  the  corre 
spondence  on  the  subject  of  the  poems. 

NEW  YORK,  May  loth,  1815. 

SIR,  —  Mrs.  Anna  Smyth,  the  lady  of  Charles  Smyth 
Esquire,  a  respectable  Citizen  of  this  place,  being  to  set  out  in 
a  few  days  on  a  tour  to  Virginia,  and  expecting  to  be  in  your 
neighborhood  either  at  Washington,  or  at  Montpelier,  does 
me  the  favour  to  take  under  her  particular  care,  to  put  or 
transmit  into  your  hands,  the  two  little  Volumes  I  mentioned 
to  you  in  my  letter  last  winter,  and  to  which  I  received  your 
friendly  and  obliging  Answer.  —  Be  pleased  to  accept  them  as  a 
mark  of  my  attention,  respect,  and  esteem,  in  regard  to  your 
private  as  well  as  public  character.  I  have  written  to  Mr. 
Carey,  in  Philadelphia,  a  bookseller  there,  to  forward  on  to 
you,  if  he  has  them,  the  two  Volumes  of  the  Revolutionary 
Poems  published  in  Philadelphia  in  the  Summer  of  1809,  and 
which  you  wished  to  regain,  since  the  loss  of  your  copies  in 
the  conflagration  at  Washington  last  year.  I  flatter  myself, 
the  arrangement  I  have  made  with  him  will  replace  them  in 
your  hand  —  I  will  only  add,  that  any  attention  paid  by  you  to 
Mrs.  Smyth,  I  will  consider  as  conferred  on  myself. 

I  am,  Sir,  with  the  highest  consideration, 

Your  obedient  humble  servant, 

PHILIP  FRENEAU. 
THE  HONORABLE  JAMES  MADISON, 
President  of  the  United  States. 

After  the  disastrous  fire  at  Mount  Pleasant  which 
consumed  the  fine  library  mentioned  in  Mrs.  Freneau's 
letter  to  her  brother,  Samuel  Forman,  and  in  which 
much  as  yet  unpublished  poetry  of  Freneau's  had  been 
consumed,  Freneau  with  his  wife  and  two  unmarried 
daughters  removed,  that  is,  themselves  and  the  clothing 


Philip  Freneau 


they  wore,  to  a  house  which  was  building  ;  in  which  they 
remained  up  to  the  death  of  Mrs.  Freneau's  brother, 
when  they  took  possession  of  his  house,  which  had 
formerly  belonged  to  Mrs.  Freneau's  father  and  had 
been  the  home  of  her  childhood.  Freneau  lived  in 
this  house  till  his  death. 

Freneau  was  naturally  sociable,  and,  being  a  great 
walker,  he  frequently  met  his  friends  in  the  evening 
at  the  rooms  of  the  circulating  library  of  the  town. 
On  the  evening  of  the  eighteenth  of  December,  1832, 
he  remained  there  somewhat  later  than  usual,  having 
been  interested  in  a  political  discussion.  The  Hon. 
William  L.  Dayton,  afterwards  U.  S.  Minister  to 
France,  offered  to  accompany  him  home;  but 
Freneau  persistently  refused,  and  started  alone.  After 
a  time  a  sudden  snow-storm  came  up  and  hid  from 
his  view  the  lamp  his  wife  always  left  burning  in  a 
window  to  light  him  home.  It  is  supposed  that  he 
was  blinded  by  the  snow  and  benumbed  by  the  in 
tense  cold,  and,  falling,  broke  his  hip.  He  sank  down 
by  the  side  of  the  road,  and,  with  the  snow  for  his 
winding-sheet  and  the  wild  winter  wind  singing  his 
requiem,1  the  freedom-loving  spirit  of  Philip  Freneau 
passed  into  the  presence  of  his  Maker. 

Mr.  Delancey  says,  "  Such  was  the  tragic  end  of 
one  of  the  most  original  and  gifted  poets  that  America, 
up  to  his  day,  and  I  may  say  to  ours,  has  ever  pro 
duced." 

In  speaking  of  his  death  the  "  Monmouth  Inquirer" 
says :  — 

u  Captain  Freneau  was  a  staunch  Whig  in  the  time  of  the 
Revolution,  a  good  soldier,  and  a  warm  patriot.  The  produc 
tions  of  his  pen  animated  his  countrymen  in  the  dark  days  of 

1  They  do  not  err 
Who  say  that,  when  a  poet  dies, 
Mute  Nature  mourns  her  worshipper 
And  celebrates  his  obsequies.  —  SCOTT. 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

seventy  six,  and  the  effusions  of  his  muse  cheered  the  despond 
ing  soldier  as  he  fought  the  battles  of  freedom;  he  was  the 
popular  poet  of  the  Revolution." 

His  death  is  recorded  in  the  old  Bible  by  his 
daughter  Agnes,  and  closes  the  Freneau  record. 

"  My  dear  father,  Philip  Freneau,  was  buried,  by  his  own 
particular  request,  in  the  Locust  Grove,  very  near  his  beloved 
mother,  on  Friday  afternoon  the  twenty-first  of  December, 
1832." 

Freneau  was  buried  under  the  tree  of  which  we 
have  already  spoken  as  being  his  favorite  seat,  and 
under  whose  shade  he  composed  many  of  his  poems. 
His  tombstone  is  a  very  simple  one,  of  marble  sur 
mounted  by  a  draped  urn,  and  bears  the  inscription  : 

"  POET'S  GRAVE. 
PHILIP  FRENEAU 
died  December  i8th.  1832 
ae.  80  years,  n  months,  and  16  days. 

"  He  was  a  native  of  New  York,  but  for  many  years  a  resi 
dent  of  Philadelphia  and  New  Jersey.  His  upright  and  honest 
character  is  in  the  memory  of  many,  and  will  remain  when 
this  inscription  is  no  longer  legible. 

"  Heaven  lifts  its  everlasting  portal  high, 
And  bids  the  pure  in  heart  behold  their  God." 

By  his  side  on  another  tombstone  we  read,  — 

"  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Eleanor,  wife  of  Philip  Freneau, 
and  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Helena  Forman,  who  died  Sep 
tember  ist,  1850,  aged  86  years  9  months  and  20  days." 

The  third  book  we  have  mentioned  as  lying  on  the 
desk  proves  that  Freneau  was  not  unmindful  of  his 
end,  and  shows  his  faith  in  God,  and  his  deep  affection 
for  his  loved  ones.  It,  strangely  enough,  is  marked 


Philip  Freneau 


by  the  firm  hand  of  his  early  youth,  and  the  trem 
bling  one  of  his  old  age.  On  its  inner  cover  it  bears 
the  date  of  his  entrance  to  the  Penolopen  Latin 
School,  that  of  his  initiation  into  Princeton  College, 
and  also  that  of  his  graduation.  Through  it  are  versi 
fied  translations  of  different  Latin  verses  ;  and  in  trem 
bling  pencil-strokes  of  later  days,  the  following  lines 
are  traced :  — 

"  I  am  growing  fit,  I  hope,  for  a  better  world,  of  which  the 
light  of  the  sun  is  but  a  shadow  ;  for  I  doubt  not  ^but  God's 
works  here,  are  what  come  nearest  to  his  works  there  j  and 
that  a  true  relish  of  the  beauties  of  nature  is  the  most  easy 
preparation  and  gentlest  transition  to  an  enjoyment  of  those  of 
heaven :  I  'm  endeavoring  to  put  my  mind  into  as  quiet  a 
situation  as  I  can,  to  be  ready  to  receive  that  stroke  which,  I 
believe,  is  coming  upon  me,  and  have  fully  resigned  myself  to 
yield  to  it.  The  separation  of  my  soul  and  body  is  what  I 
could  think  of  with  less  pain  ;  for  I  am  sure  he  that  made  it 
will  take  care  of  it,  and  in  whatever  state  he  pleases  it  shall 
be,  that  state  must  be  right.  But  I  cannot  think  without  tears 
of  being  separated  from  my  friends,  when  their  condition  is  so 
doubtful,  that  they  may  want  even  such  assistance  as  mine. 
Sure,  it  is  more  merciful  to  take  from  us  after  death  all 
memory  of  what  we  loved  or  pursued  here  :  for  else  what  a 
torment  would  it  be  to  a  spirit,  still  to  love  those  creatures  it 
is  quite  divided  from  !  Unless  we  suppose,  that  in  a  more 
exalted  life,  all  that  we  esteemed  in  this  imperfect  state  will 
affect  us  no  more,  than  what  we  lov'd  in  our  infancy  concerns 
us  now."  1 

On  the  inner  side  of  the  last  cover  is  written,  — 

"  Leaving  the  old,  both  worlds  at  once  they  view 
Who  stand  upon  the  threshold  of  the  new." 

And  again,  — 

"  Stronger  by  weakness,  wiser  men  become 
As  they  draw  near  to  their  eternal  home."  2 

1  Letters  of  Alexander  Pope.  2  Waller. 

£>*»] 


GRAVE  OF  FRENEAU 


Chapter    Eleventh 

FOR  reasons  already  given,  we  deem  it  best  to 
give  the  criticisms  of  others  upon  the  poetry 
of  Freneau,  and  begin  with  the  remarks  of  a 
London  publisher1  who,  notwithstanding  Freneau's 
hostile  feeling  towards  all  that  savored  in  the  least 
of  Great  Britain,  has  had  the  magnanimity  to  over 
look  all  such  sentiment,  and  bring  before  the  public, 
of  his  own  free  will,  a  reproduction  of  the  volume  of 
Freneau's  poems,  as  published  by  Francis  Bailey  of 
Philadelphia  in  the  year  1786.  In  his  introduction  to 
the  British  public  he  says  :  "It  has  been  remarked 
with  justice  that,  in  the  states  which  have  arisen  out 
of  the  British  settlements  in  America,  literature  as  a 
profession  is  a  thing  of  recent  growth.  Till  within 
the  present  century,  it  was  only  taken  up  as  a  matter 
of  taste,  and  at  leisure,  from  time  to  time,  by  those 
whose  lives  were  absorbed  in  other  duties  and  other 
pursuits,  and  most  frequently  took  its  character  from 
temporary  feelings  and  impulses.  It  hence  happens 
that  a  good  proportion  of  the  best  of  the  older 
American  literature  was  temporary  in  its  character, 
and  has  become  more  or  less  obsolete  even  in  America, 
and  it  is  only  very  considerable  excellence  that  has 
preserved  some  of  it  from  comparative  oblivion.  To 
this  latter  class  belongs  the  poet  whose  works  are 
given  in  the  present  volume,  and  who  arrived  at  fame 
amidst  the  turbulence  of  the  revolutionary  period." 

After  giving  a  synopsis  of  the  poet's  varied  career, 
he  mentions  his  first  notable  poem  composed  in   his 

1  John  Russell  Smith,  Soho  Sq.,  London,  1861. 

\2II\ 


Philip  Freneau 


sophomore  year  while  at  Nassau  Hall,  Princeton 
College,  which,  he  says,  is  distinguished  both  by  the 
vigor  and  the  correctness  of  its  versification.  "  His 
poetic  satires  against  the  royalists  established  his  repu 
tation  in  America,  and  all  these  show  great  talent ;  and 
some  of  his  severer  satires,  such  as  that  on  his  literary 
opponent  whom  he  addresses  under  the  name  of  Mac 
Swiggin,  are  characterized  by  great  power." 

As  this  poem  gives  an  insight  into  Philip's  character, 
his  intense  love  for  nature  in  her  varied  forms,  his 
lack  of  desire  for  fame,  yet  innate  knowledge  of 
his  own  powers,  did  he  desire  to  gain  it,  his  scorn  for 
all  that  was  low  or  base  in  mankind,  and  his  con 
scious  superiority  over  a  rival  whom  he  has  it  in  the 
power  of  his  two-edged  sword  to  annihilate ;  and  fur 
thermore  as  it  illustrates  that  which  we  have  already 
said  :  his  being  as  much  dreaded  by  a  foe,  as  he  was 
loved  as  a  friend,  we  will  quote  some  portions  of  it :  — 

"  Long  have  I  sat  on  this  disastrous  shore, 
And,  sighing,  sought  to  gain  a  passage  o'er 
To  Europe's  towns,  where,  as  our  travellers  say, 
Poets  may  flourish,  or,  perhaps  they  may ; 
But  such  abuse  has  from  your  coarse  pen  fell 
I  think  I  may  defer  my  voyage  as  well, 
Why  should  I  far  in  search  of  honour  roam, 
And  dunces  leave  to  triumph  here  at  home  ? 
Great  Jove  in  wrath  a  spark  of  genius  gave, 
And  bade  me  drink  the  mad  Pierian  wave 
Hence  came  these  rhymes,  with  truth  ascrib'd  to  me. 
That  swell  thy  little  soul  to  jealousy  : 
If  thus,  tormented  at  these  flighty  lays, 
You  strive  to  blast  what  ne'er  was  meant  for  praise, 
How  will  you  bear  the  more  exalted  rhyme 
By  labour  polish'd  and  matur'd  by  time  ? 

Devoted  madman  !  what  inspir'd  thy  rage, 
Who  bade  thy  foolish  muse  with  me  engage  ? 
Against  a  windmill  would'st  thou  try  thy  might, 
Against  a  giant  would  a  pigmy  fight  ? 
[  212  ] 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

What  could  thy  slanderous  pen  with  malice  arm  ? 

To  injure  him,  who  never  did  thee  harm  ? 

Have  I  from  thee  been  urgent  to  attain 

The  mean  ideas  of  thy  barren  brain  ? 

Have  I  been  seen  in  borrowed  clothes  to  shine, 

And,  when  detected,  swear  by  Jove  they  're  mine  ? 

0  miscreant,  hostile  to  thine  own  repose, 
From  thy  own  envy  thy  destruction  flows  ! 

Bless'd  be  our  western  world  —  its  scenes  conspire 
To  raise  a  poet's  fancy  and  his  lire, 
Lo,  blue-topt  mountains  to  the  skies  ascend ! 
Lo,  shady  forests  to  the  breezes  bend  ! 
See  mighty  streams  meandering  to  the  main  ! 
See  lambs  and  lambkins  sport  on  every  plain  ! 
The  spotted  herds  in  flowery  meadows  see ! 
But  what,  ungenerous  wretch,  are  these  to  thee  ! 
You  find  no  charms  in  all  that  nature  yields, 
Then  leave  to  me  the  grottoes  and  the  fields  : 

1  interfere  not  with  your  vast  design  — 
Pursue  your  studies,  and  I  '11  follow  mine, 
Pursue  well  pleas'd  your  theologic  schemes, 
Attend  professors,  and  correct  your  themes, 
Still  some  dull  nonsense,  low-bred  wit  invent, 
Or  prove  from  scripture  what  it  never  meant, 
Or  far  through  law,  that  land  of  scoundrels,  stray, 
And  truth  disguise  through  all  your  mazy  way. 
Wealth  you  may  gain,  your  clients  you  may  squeeze, 
And,  by  long  cheating,  learn  to  live  at  ease ; 

If  but  in  Wood  or  Littleton  well  read, 

The  devil  shall  help  you  to  your  daily  bread. 

O  waft  me  far,  ye  muses  of  the  west  — 
Give  me  your  green  bowers  and  soft  seats  of  rest  — 
Thrice  happy  in  those  dear  retreats  to  find 
A  safe  retirement  from  all  human  kind  — 
Though  dire  misfortunes  every  step  attend, 
The  muse,  still  social,  still  remains  a  friend  — 
In  solitude  her  converse  gives  delight, 
With  gay  poetic  dreams  she  cheers  the  night, 
She  aids  me,  shields  me,  bears  me  on  her  wings, 
In  spite  of  growling  whelps,  to  high,  exalted  things, 

[213} 


Philip  Freneau 


Beyond  the  miscreants  that  my  peace  molest, 
Miscreants,  with  dullness  and  with  rage  opprest. 

Hail,  great  Mac  Swiggen  !  foe  to  honest  fame, 
Patron  of  dunces,  and  thyself  the  same, 
You  dream  of  conquest  —  tell  me,  how,  or  whence  ? 
Act  like  a  man  and  combat  me  with  sense  — 
This  evil  have  I  known,  and  known  but  once, 
Thus  to  be  gall'd  and  slander'd  by  a  dunce, 
Saw  rage  and  weakness  join  their  dastard  plan 
To  crush  the  shadow,  not  attack  the  man. 
Assist  me,  gods,  to  drive  this  dog  of  rhyme 
Back  to  the  torments  of  his  native  clime, 
Where  dullness  mingles  with  her  native  earth, 
And  rhymes,  not  worth  the  pang  that  gave  them  birth  ! 
Where  did  he  learn  to  write  or  talk  with  men  — 
A  senseless  blockhead,  with  a  scribbling  pen  — 
In  vile  acrostics  thou  may'st  please  the  fair, 
Not  less  than  with  thy  looks  and  powder'd  hair, 
But  strive  no  more  with  rhyme  to  daunt  thy  foes, 
Or,  by  the  flame  that  in  my  bosom  glows, 
The  muse  on  thee  shall  her  worst  fury  spend, 
And  hemp  or  water  thy  vile  being  end. 

Aspers'd  like  me,  who  would  not  grieve  and  rage  ! 
Who  would  not  burn,  Mac  Swiggen  to  engage  ? 
Him  and  his  friends,  a  mean,  designing  race, 
I,  singly  I,  must  combat  face  to  face  — 
Alone  I  stand  to  meet  the  foul-mouth'd  train, 
Assisted  by  no  poets  of  the  plain, 
Whose  timorous  Muses  cannot  swell  their  theme 
Beyond  a  meadow  or  a  purling  stream  — 
Were  not  my  breast  impervious  to  despair  — 
And  did  not  Clio  reign  unrivall'd  there, 
I  must  expire  beneath  the  ungenerous  host, 
And  dullness  triumph  o'er  a  poet  lost. 


Come  on,  Mac  Swiggen,  come  —  your  muse  is  willing, 
Your  prose  is  merry,  but  your  verse  is  killing  — 
Come  on  —  attack  me  with  your  choicest  rhymes, 
Sound  void  of  sense  betrays  the  unmeaning  chimes  — 


(*'*] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Come,  league  your  forces ;  all  your  wit  combine, 
Your  wit  not  equal  to  the  bold  design  — 
The  heaviest  arms  the  Muse  can  give,  I  wield, 
To  stretch  Mac  Swiggen  floundering  on  the  field, 
'Swiggen,  who,  aided  by  some  spurious  Muse, 
But  bellows  nonsense,  and  but  writes  abuse, 
'Swiggen,  immortal  and  unfading  grown, 
But  by  no  deeds  or  merits  of  his  own  — 
So,  when  some  hateful  monster  sees  the  day, 
In  spirits  we  preserve  it  from  decay, 
But  for  what  end,  it  is  not  hard  to  guess  — 
Not  for  its  value,  but  its  ugliness." 

1775. 

"  Freneau's  longest  and  most  carefully  written 
poems  were :  c  The  House  of  Night/  c  The  Jamaica 
Funeral/  and  c  The  Beauties  of  Santa  Cruz ; '  his  most 
admired  is  c  The  British  Prison  Ship/ 

"  The  influence  of  Freneau's  wandering  and  un 
settled  life  is  visible  in  his  liter'ary  labors,  a  large 
portion  of  which  were  inspired  by  the  stirring  events 
that  were  passing  around  him.  For  this  reason,  per 
haps,  he  is  not  so  well  known  as  many  other  writers 
to  the  general  reader,  even  in  his  own  country ;  while 
the  fierce  hostility  to  England  and  King  George  which 
the  great  revolutionary  struggle  had  raised  in  his 
mind,  and  which  he  expresses  in  very  unmeasured 
language,  prevented  his  being  popular  among  English 
men,  who,  indeed,  have  been  generally  neglectful  of 
the  literature  of  America.  Yet  Freneau,  as  the  'patriot 
poet/  long  enjoyed  a  very  extensive  popularity  among 
his  own  countrymen,  and  no  doubt  he  deserves  to 
stand  among  their  best  poets.  There  is  an  ease  in  his 
verse,  combined  with  a  great  command  of  language, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  a  simplicity  of  expression  and 
delicacy  of  handling,  which  makes  us  regret  that  it 
was  so  often  employed  on  subjects  the  interest  of 


Philip  Freneau 


which  was  of  a  temporary  character.  Many  of  his 
poems  of  a  more  miscellaneous  character  present 
beauties  of  no  ordinary  kind,  while  the  playful  or 
satirical  humour  of  others  is  perfect." 

On  the  evening  of  March  thirteenth  of  the  year 
1883,  Professor  James  D.  Murray  of  Princeton  Col 
lege  delivered  a  lecture  upon  the  poet  and  his  poetry 
before  the  Long  Island  Historical  Society  in  the  soci 
ety's  building.  In  regard  to  his  poetry,  which  is  the 
only  portion  of  the  lecture  that  we  shall  quote  in  this 
chapter,  he  said :  "  Freneau  was  a  genius  in  his  way, 
and  had  brilliant  instincts.  Some  of  his  poetry  sprung 
from  the  intense  flame  of  oppression,  and  as  a  poet  he 
blew  it  to  a  white  heat.  He  was  possessed  of  an  im 
petuous  flow  of  song  for  freedom,  and  his  wit  was 
pungent  and  stinging.  That  he  used  this  with  effect 
can  readily  be  seen  by  any  person  who  reads  his  sup 
posed  interview  with  King  George  and  Fox.  Then 
take  his  exquisite  dirge  of  the  heroes  of  Eutaw  Springs, 
his  odes  like  c  Benedict  Arnold's  Departure ; '  some 
parts  of  them  are  unrivalled.  His  works  show  that 
he  imitated  in  some  degree  both  Gray  and  Shelley. 
Campbell  and  Scott  did  not  hesitate  to  borrow  from 
him.  .  .  .  His  literary  essays  were  also  in  this  peculiar 
vein ;  for  instance,  his  c  Advice  to  Authors,*  his  c  Ora 
tion  upon  Rum/  and  a  series  of  character  sketches. 
His  c  City  Burying  Places '  antedates  some  of  our 
modern  suggestions. " 

"  There  was  no  difficulty  in  versification  with  him," 
wrote  Dr.  Francis.  "  I  told  him  what  I  had  heard 
Jeffrey,  the  eminent  Scotch  reviewer,  say  of  his  writ 
ings,  that  the  time  would  arrive  when  his  poetry,  like 
that  of  Hudibras,  would  command  a  commentator  like 
Grey." 

"  The  poetry  of  the  revolutionary  era  was  not  of 
an  exhilarating  character  certainly,  for  with  the  out 
breaking  of  hostilities  there  came  an  outburst  otherwise 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

than  tuneful  of  patriotic  ballads,  songs,  and  doggerel 
satires,  to  all  of  which  at  this  distance  the  sounds  of 
the  combatants'  fife  and  drum  seems  a  fitting  accom 
paniment.  One  poet  there  was,  however,  who  may 
justly  be  awarded  that  title  on  account  of  the  occa 
sional  lyrics  which  are  in  pleasing  contrast  with  the 
verses  of  his  contemporaries  ;  some  of  which  are  char 
acterized  by  a  grace  and  tenderness  as  well  as  by  a 
skilful  versification  that  gives  them  a  peculiar  charm. 
Freneau  wrote  for  a  purpose,  and  that  purpose  accom 
plished  he  was  satisfied  ;  had  he  striven  to  be  or  become 
a  poet  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  he  might  have  be 
come  one,  but  he  used  his  gift  as  a  means  to  an  end, 
occasionally  solacing  his  moments  of  freedom  from 
care  by  using  his  pen  for  his  pleasure,  but  this  was 
seldom."  x 

"He  depicts  land  and  naval  fights  with  much  ani 
mation  and  gay  coloring ;  and  being  himself  a  son  of 
old  Neptune,  he  is  never  at  a  loss  for  appropriate  cir 
cumstances  and  expressive  diction  when  the  scene  lies 
at  sea.  —  His  martial  and  political  ballads  are  free  from 
bombast  and  affectation,  and  often  have  an  arch  simplic 
ity  in  their  manner  that  renders  them  very  poignant  and 
striking.  If  the  ballads  and  songs  of  Dibdin  have 
cheered  the  spirits  and  incited  the  valor  of  the  British 
Tars,  the  strains  of  Freneau,  in  like  manner,  are  cal 
culated  to  impart  patriotic  impulses  to  the  hearts  of 
his  countrymen,  and  their  effect  in  this  way  should  be 
taken  as  a  test  of  their  merit.  Many  of  his  composi 
tions  relating  to  persons  and  things  now  forgotten  are 
no  longer  interesting,  but  he  evinced  more  genius  and 
more  enthusiasm  than  any  other  poet  whose  powers 
were  called  into  action  during  the  great  struggle  for 
liberty,  and  was  the  most  distinguished  poet  of  our 
revolutionary  period. 

"It  is  not  to  be  forgotten,  however,  that  Freneau 

1  Centennial  Journals,  188. 

[**7] 


Philip  Freneau 


had  other  claims  to  attention  as  a  poet,  than  his  liter 
ary  association  with  the  events  of  the  Revolution. 
He  was  essentially  of  a  poetic  mood,  and  had  many 
traits  of  rare  excellence  in  the  divine  art.  His  mind 
was  warmed  into  admiration  at  the  beauties  of  land 
scape;  his  conceptions  were  imaginative;  visionary 
scenes  swarmed  before  his  imagination ;  and  the  same 
susceptibility  of  mind  which  led  him  to  invest  with 
interest  the  fading  fortunes  of  the  Indian,  and  Nature's 
prodigality  in  the  luxurious  scenery  of  the  tropics, 
made  him  keenly  appreciative  of  the  humble  ways 
and  manners  of  his  race.  The  practical  Captain  Fre 
neau  combined  humor  with  fancy,  and  his  Muse,  laying 
aside  what  Milton  termed  c  her  singing  robes,*  could 
wear  with  ease  the  garments  of  every-day  life.  The 
common,  once  familiar  incidents  and  manners  of  his 
time  will  be  found  pleasantly  reflected  in  many  a 
quaint  picture  in  his  poems." * 

"  The  poems  of  Philip  Freneau,"  if  we  may  be  al 
lowed  here  to  repeat  our  estimate  of  his  powers  from 
a  sketch  written  some  years  ago,  "  represent  his  times, 
the  war  of  wit  and  verse  no  less  than  of  sword  and 
stratagem  of  the  Revolution ;  and  he  superadds  to 
this  material  a  humorous  simplicity  peculiarly  his  own, 
in  which  he  paints  the  life  of  village  rustics,  with  their 
local  manners  fresh  about  them ;  of  days  when  tavern  de 
lights  were  to  be  freely  spoken  of,  before  temperance 
societies  and  Maine  laws  were  thought  of;  when  men 
went  to  prison  at  the  summons  of  inexorable  creditors, 
and  when  Connecticut  deacons  rushed  out  of  meeting 
to  arrest  and  waylay  the  passing  Sunday  traveller. 
When  these  humours  of  the  day  were  exhausted,  and 
the  impulses  of  patriotism  were  gratified  in  song,  when 
he  had  paid  his  respects  to  Rivington  and  Hugh 
Gaines,  he  solaced  himself  with  remoter  themes : 
in  the  version  of  an  ode  of  Horace,  a  visionary 

i  Giulian  C.  Verplanck,  in  Analectic  Magazine. 

\2l8\ 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

meditation  on  the  antiquities  of  America,  or  a  sen 
timental  effusion  on  the  loves  of  Sappho.  These  show 
the  fine  tact  and  delicate  handling  of  Freneau,  who 
deserves  much  more  consideration  in  this  respect  from 
critics  than  he  has  received.  A  writer  from  whom  the 
fastidious  Campbell,  in  his  best  day,  thought  it  worth 
while  to  borrow  an  entire  line,  is  worth  looking  into. 
It  is  from  Freneau's  "  Indian  Bury  ing- Ground,"  the 
last  image  of  that  fine  visionary  stanza :  — 

u '  By  midnight  moons,  o'er  moistening  dews, 

In  vestments  for  the  chase  array'd, 
The  hunter  still  the  deer  pursues, 

The  hunter  and  the  deer  —  a  shade.' 

"  Campbell  has  given  this  line  a  rich  setting  in 
'O'Conner's  Child':  — 

"  '  Now  on  the  grass-green  turf  he  sits, 
His  tasselPd  horn  beside  him  laid ; 
Now  o'er  the  hills  in  chase  he  flits, 
The  hunter  and  the  deer  a  shade? 

<c  There  is  also  a  line  of  Sir  Walter  Scott  which  has 
its  prototype  in  Freneau.  In  the  introduction  to  the 
third  canto  of  c  Marmion/  in  the  apostrophe  to  the 
Duke  of  Brunswick,  we  read  :  — 

"c  Lamented  chief!  —  not  thine  the  power 

To  save  in  that  presumptuous  hour, 
When  Prussia  hurried  to  the  field, 

And  match* d  the  spear  but  left  the  shield? 

"In  Freneau's  poem  on  the  heroes  of  Eutaw,  we 
have  this  stanza  :  — 

"  c  They  saw  their  injur'd  country's  woe ; 
The  flaming  town,  the  wasted  field, 
Then  rush'd  to  meet  the  insulting  foe ; 

They  took  the  spear  —  but  left  the  shield/ 

"  An  anecdote  which  the  late  Henry  Brevoort  was 
accustomed  to  relate  of  his  visit  to  Scott,  affords  as- 


Philip  Freneau 


surance  that  the  poet  was  really  indebted  to  Freneau, 
and  that  he  would  not,  on  a  proper  occasion,  have 
hesitated  to  acknowledge  the  obligation.  Mr.  Bre- 
voort  was  asked  by  Scott  respecting  the  authorship 
of  certain  verses  on  the  battle  of  Eutaw,  which  he  had 
seen  in  a  magazine,  and  had  by  heart,  and  which  he 
knew  were  American.  He  was  told  that  they  were 
by  Freneau,  when  he  (Scott)  remarked,  '  The  poem  is 
as  fine  a  thing  as  there  is  of  the  kind  in  the  language.' 
Scott  also  praised  one  of  the  Indian  poems. 

"  Freneau  surprises  us  often  by  his  neatness  of  exe 
cution  and  skill  in  versification.  He  handles  a  triple- 
rhymed  stanza  in  the  octosyllabic  measure  particularly 
well.  His  appreciation  of  nature  is  tender  and  sym 
pathetic,  —  one  of  the  pure  springs  which  fed  the 
more  boisterous  current  of  his  humour  when  he  came 
out  among  men,  to  deal  with  quackery,  pretence,  and 
injustice.  But  what  is,  perhaps,  most  worthy  of 
notice  in  Freneau  is  his  originality,  the  instinct  with 
which  his  genius  marked  out  a  path  for  itself  in  those 
days  when  most  writers  were  languidly  leaning  upon 
the  old  foreign  school  of  Pope  and  Dryden.  He  was 
not  afraid  of  home  things  and  incidents.  Dealing 
with  facts  and  realities,  and  the  life  around  him, 
wherever  he  was,  his  writings  have  still  an  interest 
where  the  vague  expressions  of  other  poets  are  for 
gotten.  It  is  not  to  be  denied,  however,  that  Fre 
neau  was  sometimes  careless.  He  thought  and  wrote 
with  improvidence.  His  jests  are  sometimes  misdi 
rected  ;  and  his  verses  are  unequal  in  execution.  Yet 
it  is  not  too  much  to  predict  that,  through  the  genuine 
nature  of  some  of  his  productions,  and  the  historic 
incidents  of  others,  all  that  he  wrote  will  yet  be  called 
for,  and  find  favour  in  numerous  editions." 

"  Freneau's  originality  was  very  marked.     He  fol- 

1  Cyclopaedia  of  American  Literature.  The  remainder  of  this  chapter 
is  taken  from  Mr.  Edward  Delancey's  address  to  the  Huguenot  Society. 

{220} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

lowed  not  in  the  steps  of  Dryden,  nor  any  other  of 
the  poets  of  the  Augustan  age ;  nor,  like  his  contem 
poraries  Trumbull  and  Barlow,  in  those  of  Young  and 
Pope.  Not  only  did  he  not  follow  classic  example, 
but  he  struck  out  a  style  of  his  own.  Free,  clear,  and 
expressive,  he  cast  aside  the  trammels  of  the  stately 
verse  in  which  his  predecessors  and  contemporaries 
delighted,  and  wrote  just  as  he  seems  to  have  felt,  and 
in  whatever  way  he  deemed  most  appropriate  to  his 
subject.  Although  careless  in  his  rhymes  at  times,  he 
was,  nevertheless,  always  effective. 

"  So  long  was  his  life  that  he  wrote  some  of  his 
finest  poems  after  the  advent  of  that  brilliant  galaxy 
of  poets  who  burst  forth  in  the  early  part  of  this 
nineteenth  century.  But  not  a  trace  of  Moore, 
Southey,  Campbell,  Rogers,  Scott,  Wordsworth,  or 
Byron,  is  to  be  found  in  the  last  two  small  volumes 
of  his  poems  which  he  gave  to  the  world  in  1815. 

"  Freneau's  prose  writings  were  of  two  kinds :  brief 
essays  on  many  subjects,  after  the  manner  of  the 
Spectator  and  the  Tatler ;  and  travels  and  reports  of 
an  imaginary  character,  related  and  made  to  their 
kings  by  an  inhabitant  of  Otaheite  and  a  Creek 
Indian,  after  their  return  from  civilized  lands,  after 
the  example  of  Voltaire.  To  these  may  be  added  his 
political  disquisitions  and  translations  from  French 
historical  writers.  The  best  of  the  former  were 
written  over  the  pen-name  of  c  Robert  Slender/  All 
are  pleasing,  witty,  humorous,  easy  and  agreeable, 
and  show  great  and  close  power  of  observation.  His 
political  writings,  action,  and  opinions  are  a  most  in 
teresting  theme,  but  they  would  require  a  full  essay  to 
be  adequately  presented.  ,The  ardor  of  his  nature 
and  the  firmness  of  his  opinions,  with  the  vigor  and 
terseness  of  his  style,  made  him  an  adversary  to  be 
feared. 

"  During  the  period  of  his  sea  life  is  to  be  ascribed 

[221} 


Philip  Freneau 


some  of  his  finest  and  most  perfect  descriptions  of 
nature,  especially  of  nature  in  the  tropics.  Two 
poems,  one  styled  c  The  Beauties  of  Santa  Cruz/ 
and  the  other  descriptive  of  the  shores  of  Carolina  and 
Charleston,  are  instinct  with  true  poetic  fire.  His 
versified  translations  from  the  Latin  show  how  well 
his  college  days  were  spent,  and  how  late  in  life  he 
kept  up  his  classic  studies.  No  finer  rendition  of  the 
fifteenth  ode  of  the  first  book  of  Horace,  Nereus's 
prophecy  of  the  destruction  of  Troy,  than  Freneau's 
exists ;  while  his  translation  of  Gray's  famous  c  Ode 
written  at  the  Grande  Chartreuse,*  is  as  striking  and 
beautiful  as  the  original  itself. 

"  Freneau's  poetry  may  be  considered  in  three 
classes, — war  lyrics  and  satires;  poems  on  general 
subjects  and  descriptions  of  nature;  and  translations 
from  the  classic  poets  and  those  of  Italy  and  France ; 
with  a  few  which  do  not  strictly  fall  under  either  of 
these  heads.  They  vary  greatly  in  style  and  finish, 
some  wanting  much  of  the  latter  quality.  Freneau 
was  naturally  impulsive,  inclined  to  indolence,  and 
often  careless ;  and  his  verse  sometimes  reflects  his 
moods.  He  seems  to  have  written  just  as  the  inci 
dent  or  event  happened  which  formed  his  theme,  or 
as  the  idea  he  expressed  occurred  to  him.  Like  many 
men  of  active  intellect  and  quick  perceptions,  he  lacked 
application.  Content  to  write  for  the  hour,  and  satis 
fied  if  the  effect  or  object  aimed  at  was  secured,  he 
little  regarded  the  future  of  the  children  of  his  brain. 
Hence  he  has  left  us  no  great  narrative  poem  and  no 
epic. 

"  His  verse  is  wonderful  for  its  ease,  simplicity, 
humor,  great  command  of  language,  and  delicacy  of 
handling.  Except  Dryden  and  Byron  no  poet  of 
America  or  England  has  shown  himself  a  greater 
master  of  English  or  of  rhyme.  The  luxuriance  of 
his  stanzas  is  something  amazing.  Only  to  the  tern- 

[222] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

porary  nature  of  the  subjects  of  most  of  his  verse, 
especially  of  his  satires,  can  be  ascribed  the  des 
uetude  into  which  his  poems  have  fallen.  In  vigor, 
sentiment,  playfulness,  and  humor,  many  of  them 
cannot  be  surpassed,  and  their  beauties  of  form  and 
expression  are  as  great  now  as  when  they  were  first 
given  to  the  world. 

"  But  Freneau  possessed  other  and  deeper  poetic 
gifts.  We  have  all  wondered  at  and  admired  the 
poems  of  that  strange  son  of  genius  of  our  day,  the 
late  Edgar  Allan  Poe.  Yet  the  strange  power  of  that 
extraordinary  man  existed  also  in  the  earlier  poet. 
His  c  House  of  Night  —  a  Vision'  prefigured  the 
wondrous  conceptions  of  the  author  of  'The  Raven/ 
Though  not  at  all  alike,  there  is  in  the  supernatural 
weirdness  of  each  a  similarity.  Freneau's  dreamer, 
wandering  at  midnight  in  a  dark  wood,  comes  upon  a 
noble  dome.  Entering  and  ascending,  he  hears  ( a 
hollow  voice  of  loud  lament '  from  out  a  vaulted 
chamber,  which  proves  to  be  that  of  Death  personified 
in  human  form,  stretched  on  his  dying  bed.  He  is 
attended  by  the  castle's  lord,  who  has  just  suffered  a 
heavy  affliction;  and  who,  in  obedience  to  the  divine 
precept,  c  If  thine  enemy  hunger  feed  him,  if  he  thirst 
give  him  drink/  tries  to  assuage  his  sufferings,  but  at 
the  same  time  tells  him  that  his  end  is  inevitable. 
Death  gives  him  certain  directions,  orders  his  own 
burial,  and  dies  in  the  greatest  agony.  Then  follows 
a  most  vivid  description  of  the  burial.  The  vision 
ends ;  the  dreamer  awakes,  and  the  poem  closes  with 
some  reflections  on  Death. 

"  Another,  and  very  different  gift  which  Freneau 
possessed  in  an  extraordinary  degree  was  his  power 
of  invective.  In  this,  some  of  his  satires  rival  the 
c  Absalom  and  Achitophel,'  and  c  English  Bards  and 
Scotch  Reviewers '  in  vigor,  as  well  as  in  the  torrent- 
like  flow  of  the  verse.  Listen  to  these  lines  upon  an 


Philip  Freneau 


opponent  who  had  attacked  him  in  abusive  rhyme,  and 
whom,  under  an  odd  name,  he  has  immortalized :  — 

" c  Hail,  great  Mac  Swiggen,' "  etc. 

As  Mac  Swiggen  has  already  been  served  up  to  our 
readers  we  will  spare  them  the  remainder  of  the 
quotation. 

"  This  is  certainly  equal  to  Dryden,"  —  that  is,  Mac 
Swiggen's  eulogy,  not  our  digression,  —  "  yet  Freneau 
wrote  it  when  only  twenty-three." 

In  speaking  of  another  of  Freneau 's  early  poems, 
one  written  at  the  age  of  eighteen  while  at  Nassau 
Hall,  and  which  we  have  mentioned  in  his  college 
life,  this  author,  after  quoting  several  portions  of  it, 
says :  — 

"  Is  not  this  true  poetry  ?  Is  it  not  extraordinary 
as  the  work  of  a  youth  of  eighteen  years?  But  one 
other  American  poet  ever  wrote  anything  to  com 
pare  with  it  so  early  in  life.  Bryant  wrote  at  nine 
teen  his  £  Thanatopsis,'  and  never  later  did  he 
surpass  that  poem,  although  it  contains  but  eighty- 
one  lines. 

"Totally  dissimilar  as  these  two  poets  were,  in 
almost  every  characteristic,  physical  and  mental,  Fre 
neau  being  as  warm  as  Bryant  was  cold,  there  was  yet 
a  singular  parallelism  in  their  literary  careers.  Both 
were  educated  men,  both  college  graduates,  Freneau  of 
Princeton,  Bryant  of  Williams ;  both  wrote  as  mere 
youths,  and  wrote  then  as  men  of  twice  their  ages 
might  be  proud  to  write.  Both  studied  law  and  then 
threw  it  aside.  Both  became  hot  politicians  and  fierce 
political  writers.  Both  had  an  irresistible  desire  to  pub 
lish  newspapers,  and  both  became  editors  of  their  own 
papers,  and  editors  of  power.  Both  wrote  vigorous, 
nervous,  yet  polished  prose.  Both  continued  to  write 
poetry  during  their  whole  lives.  Both  were  eminent  as 
translators  of  the  ancient  classics.  Both  made  purely 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

literary  ventures,  and  both  wrote  satires,  and  bitter  ones. 
Both  became  involved  in  personal  conflicts.  Both  wrote 
strongly  against  slavery.  Both  were  eminently  wor 
shippers,  as  well  as  poets  of  nature.  Both,  as  their 
lives  grew  apace,  left  the  press  to  others,  and  passed 
their  latter  days  in  quiet  retirement.  And  both  en 
joyed  almost  the  longest  span  of  life  allotted  to  man, 
Freneau  dying  in  his  eighty-first,  and  Bryant  in  his 
eighty-sixth  year. 

"  But  here  the  parallel  ends,  for,  unlike  Bryant, 
Freneau  wrote  better  in  later  life  than  in  youth,  and 
his  range  of  subjects  and  kinds  of  verse  were  wider  and 
more  varied.  Bryant  possessed  great  application,  how 
ever,  while  Freneau  had  little.  In  fact  the  latter  was 
too  versatile  for  his  own  good. 

"  Such  was  the  poetry  of  the  Huguenot  patriot  of 
the  Revolution.  Born  eight  years  before  the  death  of 
George  the  Second,  and  living  far  into  the  presidency 
of  the  seventh  ruler  of  the  United  States,  General 
Andrew  Jackson,  Philip  Freneau  is  the  only  poet 
whose  ringing  verse  roused  alike  the  hearts  and  nerved 
the  arms  of  two  generations  of  Americans  against 
England.  He  immortalized  alike  the  successes  of 
the  Revolution  and  those  of  the  war  of  1812.  He 
sang,  with  equal  spirit,  force,  and  fire,  the  glory  of 
Trenton  and  the  triumph  of  Chippewa,  the  conqueror 
of  Yorktown  and  the  victor  of  Niagara.  He  sang,  too, 
the  heroic  battles  of  Paul  Jones  on  the  German  Ocean, 
and  those  of  Perry  and  McDonough  on  the  waves  of 
Erie  and  the  waters  of  Champlain,  and  also,  but  in 
sadder  strains,  the  fate  of  Andre  and  the  death  of 
Ross." 

We  have  several  times  mentioned  the  poem  on 
the  battle  of  "  Eutaw  Springs  "  and  as  it  is,  in  our 
opinion,  the  most  beautiful  of  all  Freneau's  poems 
we  will  close  this  chapter  on  his  writings  by  giving 
it  to  our  readers. 


Philip  Freneau 

EUTAW    SPRINGS. 

At  Eutaw  Springs  the  valiant  died : 

Their  limbs  with  dust  are  covered  o'er ; 

Weep  on,  ye  springs,  your  tearful  tide ; 
How  many  heroes  are  no  more  ! 

If  in  this  wreck  of  ruin,  they 

Can  yet  be  thought  to  claim  a  tear, 

O  smite  thy  gentle  breast,  and  say 
The  friends  of  freedom  slumber  here! 

Thou  who  shalt  trace  this  bloody  plain, 
If  goodness  rules  thy  generous  breast, 

Sigh  for  the  wasted  rural  reign  ; 

Sigh  for  the  shepherds  sunk  to  rest ! 

Stranger,  their  humble  graves  adorn  ; 

You  too  may  fall  and  ask  a  tear : 
'T  is  not  the  beauty  of  the  morn 

That  proves  the  evening  shall  be  clear. 

They  saw  their  injured  country's  woe, 
The  flaming  town,  the  wasted  field 

Then  rushed  to  meet  the  insulting  foe ; 
They  took  the  spear  but  left  the  shield. 

Led  by  thy  conquering  standards,  Greene, 
The  Britons  they  compelled  to  fly ; 

None  distant  viewed  the  fatal  plain, 
None  grieved  in  such  a  cause  to  die  — 

But  like  the  Parthians,  famed  of  old, 
Who,  flying,  still  their  arrows  threw, 

These  routed  Britons,  full  as  bold, 
Retreated,  and  retreating  slew. 

Now  rest  in  peace,  our  patriot  band ; 

Though  far  from  nature's  limits  thrown, 
We  trust  they  find  a  happier  land, 

A  brighter  Phoebus  of  their  own. 

1786. 

[226] 


Chapter  Twelfth 

IT  would  seem  that  the  name  of  Freneau  was  likely 
to  die  out.  Philip  was  the  only  descendant  of 
the  American  branch  that  had  a  family ;  and  his 
four  children  were  all  daughters.  The  two  younger 
ones,  Catherine  Ledyard  and  Margaret,  never  married  ; 
his  eldest  daughter,  Helen  Denise,  married  Mr.  John 
Hammill,  a  merchant  of  New  York,  and  had  four 
daughters ;  none  of  whom  have  left  any  descendants. 

Agnes  Watson  Freneau,  the  poet's  second  and 
favorite  child,  is  said  to  have  been  beautiful  in  her 
youth,  and  she  retained  much  of  her  beauty  even  to 
an  advanced  age.  She  was  a  person  of  rare  intelli 
gence  and  refinement  of  taste,  and  possessed  an  active 
and  vigorous  temperament  and  a  genial  and  sociable 
disposition.  She  inherited  from  both  parents  a  great 
love  for  poetry  and  other  literature,  and  like  them  she 
was  a  great  reader,  and  a  charming  conversationalist. 
Her  tastes  were  much  the  same  as  those  of  her  father, 
which  fact  seemed  to  bind  them  even  more  closely  to 
gether,  and  cause  them  to  be  almost  constant  com 
panions  from  the  time  Agnes  was  old  enough  to  be 
companionable  to  him.  She  frequently  accompanied 
her  father  to  New  York  to  attend  dinner  and  card 
parties,  then  greatly  in  vogue ;  and  her  vivacity  and 
personal  attractiveness  caused  her  to  be  much  admired. 

But,  notwithstanding  Agnes'  love  of  society,  she 
was  capable  of  deep  thought,  and  her  memory  was  so 
retentive  that  even  to  old  age  she  has  entertained  her 
friends  by  reciting,  at  some  length,  passages  from  her 
favorite  poets  that  she  had  committed  to  memory  in 
her  young  days.  She  also  composed  some  creditable 
poems,  but  our  informant  says  that  she  probably 


Philip  Freneau 


either  destroyed  them,  or  gave  them  away,  as  they 
were  not  found  among  her  papers. 

In  the  year  1816  Agnes  married  Mr.  Edward  Lead- 
beater,  a  prominent  merchant  of  New  York,  and  grad 
uate  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  formerly  a  surgeon 
in  the  British  army.  He  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Henry 
Leadbeater,  a  prominent  physician,  who  owned  a  fine 
estate  near  Coote  Hill,  County  Cavan,  Ireland.  Dr. 
Leadbeater  was  physician  to,  as  well  as  an  intimate 
friend  of,  Lord  Beresford,  who  was  foremost  in  church 
and  state.  He  and  his  son,  Agnes'  husband,  were 
fond  of  fox-hunting,  and  kept  fine  hounds  for  the 
purpose.  An  old  gentleman,  who  died  within  the  last 
decade  of  years,  aged  ninety,  remembered  them  well, 
and  enjoyed  talking  of  them  ;  he  said  they  entertained 
the  nobility  a  great  deal.1 

Mr.  Edward  Leadbeater's  aunt  by  marriage  was  an 
authoress  of  some  note,  and  was  an  intimate  friend  of 
Miss  Maria  Edgeworth.  Miss  Edgeworth  wrote  the 
preface  for  Mrs.  Leadbeater's  work,  entitled  "  Poems 
and  College  Dialogues."  Mrs.  Leadbeater  also  left 
a  manuscript  history  of  the  events  in  the  family  and 
neighborhood,  entitled  "  Annals  of  Ballytown,"  which, 
with  her  correspondence  with  the  mother  of  Archbishop 
Trench  of  Dublin,  and  also  with  the  poet  Crabbe,  were 
published  in  two  volumes  by  Fisher,  under  the  title  of 
"  Leadbeater  Papers."  Many  of  the  anecdotes  con 
tained  in  her  "  Annals  "  were  gained  in  her  frequent 
visits  among  the  poor,  in  company  with  the  wife  of  the 
Episcopal  minister,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pyncheon.  Mrs. 
Leadbeater  was  a  Miss  Shackleton,  daughter  and 
sister  of  the  two  presidents  of  Ballytore  School,  in 
which  Edmund  Burke  first  studied ;  the  second  presi 
dent,  son  of  the  former  one,  was  his  schoolmate  and 
friend. 

1  Dr.  Leadbeater  had  an  offer  of  knighthood,  but  he  declined  the 
proffered  courtesy. 

[228} 


AGNES  WATSON  FRENEAU  LEADBEATER 

Favorite  Daughter  of  the  Poet 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Mr.  Edward  Leadbeater's  sister,  Alicia,  arrived  in 
America  with  her  husband  and  son,  Henry,  the  same 
year  in  which  her  brother  married  Miss  Freneau. 
Alicia  had  married  Mr.  Patrick  O'Reilly,  a  merchant, 
who,  in  the  great  financial  crisis  attending  the  downfall 
of  Napoleon  First,  had  become  seriously  involved,  and, 
meeting  with  little  sympathy  from  their  relatives,  the 
young  couple  emigrated  to  America.  Shortly  after 
their  arrival  Mr.  O'Reilly  visited  the  island  of  Cuba, 
where  he  had  relatives,  but  died  of  yellow  fever  almost 
immediately  upon  his  arrival  there.  One  of  the  prin 
cipal  streets  of  Havana  is  named  after  the  family  of 
the  Marquis  O'Reilly,  formerly  Governor-General  of 
Louisiana  when  under  the  Spanish  rule,  and  afterwards 
of  Cuba. 

There  was  a  little  romance  in  the  history  of  Alicia 
and  her  husband ;  both  having  drawn  upon  themselves 
the  great  displeasure  of  their  relatives,  each  being  the 
first  to  marry  into  the  religion  peculiarly  obnoxious  to 
their  respective  families.  Alicia's  husband  was  a  Cath 
olic,  while  she  belonged  to  the  Church  of  England, 
and  her  family  let  her  feel  the  weight  of  their  displeas 
ure,  while  his  were  even  more  greatly  displeased. 
That  he  should  unite  himself  to  a  heretic,  and  one  of 
that  hated  religion  that  had  been  the  cause  of  their 
losing  their  extensive  possessions,  titles,  and  religious 
rights,  was  a  crime  not  to  be  forgiven. 

The  family  of  Alicia's  husband  had  suffered  greatly 
from  the  penal  laws,  but  they  were  stanch  in  their 
faith ;  their  sons,  for  generations,  had  been  sent  abroad 
to  study,  and  many  of  them  preferred  to  settle  in  for 
eign  lands  rather  than  return  to  a  country  in  which 
their  religion  was  held  in  opprobrium,  and  in  which 
they  had  been  denied  their  commonest  rights,  —  the 
possessions  and  titles  of  their  ancestors,  which  were  the 
earldom  of  Cavan  and  marquisate  of  Breffney. 

Two  of  the  relatives  of  Alicia's  husband  had  held 


Philip  Freneau 


the  archbishopric  of  Armagh.  The  one,  Hugh 
O'Reilly,  whose  signature  is  even  now  seen  on  the 
manifestoes  of  1741  as  Hugo  Armacansis,  headed  the 
Confederates  of  Kilkenny  when  the  chiefs  of  Ulster 
rose  in  arms  to  contend  for  their  rights  and  religious 
liberty,  and  to  secure  the  lands  of  their  ancestors  of 
which  they  had  been  despoiled  by  the  confiscation 
called  the  "  Plantation  of  Ulster,"  by  which  James  the 
First  seized  on  the  hereditary  possessions  of  the  Irish 
chiefs  and  transferred  them  to  his  followers. 

The  other,  Daniel  O'Reilly,  was  private'  chaplain 
to  Maria  Theresa,  of  Austria,  and  so  won  her  good 
will  that  she  used  her  influence  with  the  Holy  Father 
to  have  him,  upon  his  desire  to  return  to  his  native 
land,  appointed  Archbishop  of  Armagh.  The  Em 
press,  however,  retained  his  brother  Andrew  in  her 
service,  appointing  him  first  to  the  command  of  her 
advanced  posts  in  northern  Italy  and  of  the  fortress 
of  Lecco  on  Lake  Como.  She  passed  him  through 
all  the  military  grades  in  the  Austrian  army  save  that 
of  Field  Marshal.  Andrew  signalized  himself  in  the 
service  of  his  adopted  country,  and  at  the  battle  of 
Austerlitz  by  his  bravery  and  skill  saved  the  last 
of  the  army  from  total  destruction.  As  Governor 
of  Vienna,  Count  O'Reilly  had  the  difficult  task  of 
capitulating  honorably  with  Napoleon.1 

The  late  Mr.  Henry  O'Reilly  had  in  his  possession 
a  letter  written  on  vellum  from  Count  Andrew 
O'Reilly  to  his  brother  Daniel,  after  the  latter's  return 
to  Ireland  as  Archbishop  of  Armagh.2  Other  relics 

1  Napoleon  remarked  as  he  entered   Vienna,  "  It  is  strange  that  on 
each  occasion — in  November,  1805,  as  on  this  day  —  on  arriving  in  the 
Austrian  capital,   I  find  myself  in    treaty  and    in    intercourse  with    the 
respectable  General  O'Reilly.     It  was  the  dragoon  regiment  of  O'Reilly's 
command,  le  Troisieme  Chevaux  Legeres,  that  by  their  brilliant  charge  at 
Austerlitz  saved  the  remnant  of  the  Austrian  army,  December  2,  1805." 

2  Lord  Edward  Fitzgerald  was  related  to  this  family.      It  is  said  that 
the  White  House,  Washington,  was  modelled  from  his  residence.      The 
house  of  Talbot  de  Malahide  is  connected  with  it  by  marriage. 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Mr.  O'Reilly  had  in  his  possession,  amongst  which 
were  a  set  of  etchings  to  which  is  attached  a  history. 
A  grand-uncle,  for  the  great  misdemeanor  of  acting  upon 
his  rights  as  a  Catholic  priest  to  say  mass,  saw,  as  he 
was  passing  through  the  streets  carrying  these  etchings, 
placards  being  posted  around  for  his  apprehension,  to 
which  a  reward  was  attached.  Thinking  his  best 
safety  lay  in  flight,  he  started  for  the  shore,  and  made 
arrangements  for  his  passage  to  a  place  of  safety. 
During  the  passage,  the  sailors  were  conversing 
about  the  reward,  and  fearing  they  suspected  him, 
the  priest  acknowledged  his  identity,  and  threw  him 
self  upon  their  protection.  He  was  not  mistaken  in 
his  countrymen ;  they  landed  him  out  of  danger,  with 
the  etchings  under  his  arm,  and  he  made  his  way  to 
Antwerp,  where  he  became  president  of  the  university 
of  that  city. 

Other  members  of  the  family  went  to  other  coun 
tries,  in  all  of  which  they  rose  to  distinction.  There 
is  a  pretty  legend  in  the  family  which  runneth 
thus : — 

"At  the  time  of  the  invasion  of  Ireland  by  the 
Danes,  Brian  O'Reileigh,  as  the  name  was  at  that 
time  spelled,  of  Balaraharnahan,  was  sent  out  in  com 
mand  of  a  scouting  party  by  the  commander-in-chief 
of  the  Irish  forces,  and  at  the  hour  of  noon  on  a  very 
warm  day  in  August  stopped  to  rest  on  the  margin 
of  one  of  the  enchanted  lakes  of  Kilkenny.  Enrap 
tured  with  the  romantic  scenery  and  placid  waters 
spread  out  before  him,  he  lingered  long  after  his 
allotted  time,  and  the  first  thing  he  knew  he  was  sur 
rounded  by  a  large  Danish  force.  Remembering  that 
an  old  fairy,  a  particular  friend  of  his  family,  resided 
in  that  vicinity,  he  called  on  her  for  assistance.  She 
appeared  to  him,  and  showed  him  the  only  way  by 
which  he  could  escape  —  a  narrow  pass  through  the 
mountains. 


Philip  Freneau 


"  c  But,'  said  she,  ( if  that  be  guarded,  there  is  noth 
ing  left  for  you  save  by  the  strong  arm.1  Fight  your 
way  through,  and  the  fairies  will  befriend  the  destiny 
of  the  O'Reileighs  to  the  latest  generation/ 

"  He  found  the  pass  defended  by  countless  myriads 
of  Danish  spears,  but  he  went  through  by  force  of  the 
strong  arm^  losing  scarcely  a  man." 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  legend  that  the  name  has 
seen  some  changes  from  the  first,  and  Henry  O'Rielly 
changed  it  yet  further,  as  in  early  days,  the  Irish 
names  not  being  so  well  known  as  at  present,  he  was 
constantly  called  as  if  the  ei  were  double  e.  It  was  to 
avoid  this  pronunciation  that  he  spelled  his  name  con 
trary  to  the  usual  way,  reversing  the  letters  e  and  /. 
Probably  it  was  for  a  similar  reason  that  Philip  Fre 
neau  left  the  letter  s  out  of  his  name,  as  Americans 
would  in  all  probability  sound  it  as  it  was  spelled, 
"  Frejneau." 

On  account  ot  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr.  Edward 
Leadbeater  went  to  Ireland  to  settle  up  the  estate,  but 
finding  that  it  would  cause  a  greater  delay  than  he  had 
anticipated,  he  returned  to  America  to  put  his  affairs 
in  order  for  a  prolonged  absence ;  but  before  he  had 
succeeded  in  doing  so,  he  fell  ill,  and  died  in  the  spring 
of  the  very  year  in  which  Philip  Freneau  died.  His 
death  is  recorded  on  the  same  page  with  his  marriage, 
and  was  the  last  entry  made  by  Philip.  His  marriage 
and  death  read  thus  :  — 


"  Agnes  Watson  Freneau,  second  daughter  of  Philip  Fre 
neau  and  Eleanor  Forman,  was  married  to  Mr.  Edward  Lead- 
beater,  merchant  of  the  city  of  New  York,  Nov.  25th,  1816, 
by  the  Rev.  John  Croes,  in  the  twenty-third  year  of  her  age/' 

1  The  name  O'Reilly  in  the  Irish  language  signified  "  strong  arm," 
and  the  crest  of  the  arms  of  the  family  consists  of  an  arm  and  hand  hold 
ing  a  sword.  The  arms  are  preserved  in  the  family  and  some  of  the 
old  plate  was  engraved  with  it. 

\*3*\ 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

After  this  entry  comes  that  of  the  marriage  of  her 
sister,  who  although  older  than  Agnes,  was  not  married 
until  later. 

"  Helen  Denise  Freneau,  eldest  daughter  of  Philip  and 
Eleanor  Forman  Freneau,  was  married  to  Mr.  John  Hammill, 
of  New  York,  on  Monday  eve,  Dec.  I5th,  1816;  both  of  the 
above  ceremonies  at  Mount  Pleasant,  Monmouth  Co.,  N.  Y." 

"  Departed  this  life  on  Friday  A.M.,  the  2 8th  day  of  March, 
Mr.  Edward  Leadbeater,  at  Mount  Pleasant  in  the  forty-eighth 
or  forty-ninth  year  of  his  age,  and  interred  in  the  Locust 
Grove,  at  his  own  request,  on  the  Sabbath  day  following." 

Mrs.  Leadbeater  had  six  children,  the  youngest  of 
whom  was  only  about  six  months  old  at  the  time  of  her 
husband's  death.  Her  eldest  daughter,  Jane,  was  the 
only  one  whose  birth  was  recorded  by  Freneau  in  the 
old  Bible :  "  Agnes  Leadbeater,  my  second  daughter, 
had  her  eldest  daughter,  Jane  Grey  Leadbeater,  born 
in  New  York."  The  date  is  not  registered.  Jane 
married  Dr.  Sweeny,  and  had  two  children,  a  son  and 
a  daughter.  Her  eldest  son,  Philip,  to  whom  was  given 
his  grandfather's  surname  as  well  as  his  Christian  name, 
married  Helen  Denison,  and  had  one  daughter.  Mrs. 
Leadbeater's  second  daughter,  Euphemia  Kearny,  mar 
ried  Mr.  Samuel  Blatchford,  son  of  Dr.  Thomas  Win- 
deatt  Blatchford,  a  well-known  physician  of  Troy, 
N.  Y.,  and  grandson  of  the  Reverend  Samuel  Blatch 
ford  of  Devonshire,  England,  who  came  to  America  in 
1795.  The  late  Judge  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  was 
his  cousin.  Mrs.  Appleton  Bonaparte  is  likewise  a 
member  of  this  family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Samuel  Blatch 
ford  have  several  children,  one  of  whom  is  Captain 
Richard  Milford  Blatchford  of  the  i  ith  infantry,U.S.A. 

Edward  Henry  Leadbeater  married  a  daughter  of  the 
Reverend  Nehemiah  Dodge.  His  daughter  married 
Lieutenant-commander  Jacob  Noel,  U.  S.  A.  Mrs. 
Leadbeater's  third  daughter,  Catherine  Ledyard,  mar- 


Philip  Freneau 


ried  Mr.  Edward  Biddle,  grandson  of  Clement  Biddle 
of  Philadelphia,  who  was  cousin  to  the  celebrated 
financier,  and  nephew  to  Captain  Nicholas  Biddle,  — 
they  have  had  seven  children,  all  living  but  one.  The 
youngest  child  of  Mrs.  Leadbeater,  whom  we  have  men 
tioned  as  being  only  six  months  old  at  the  time  of  her 
father's  death,  married  Dr.  Charles  Townsend  Harris, 
nephew  of  Townsend  Harris,  consul-general  to  Japan, 
and  the  first  American  envoy  to  that  country.1 

Dr.  Harris,  after  graduating  from  the  N.  Y.  Univer 
sity,  took  a  medical  course  in  Paris,  and  afterwards 
studied  chemistry  in  Giessen  under  Baron  von  Liebig. 
While  in  Paris  Dr.  Harris  formed  a  pleasant  acquaint 
anceship  with  the  Due.  de  Montpensier,  which  they 
continued  by  correspondence  after  Dr.  Harris'  return 
to  America.  Dr.  Harris  is  lineal  descendant  of  Simon 
Fraser,  twelfth  Earl  of  Lovat.2  The  records  of  this 
family  now  in  their  possession  extend  back  to  1631. 
Dr.  Harris  left  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  Mrs. 
Blatchford,  Mrs.  Biddle,  and  Mrs.  Harris  are  yet 
living. 

At  the  death  of  Washington,  Mrs.  Leadbeater  was 
in  her  sixth  year,  but  her  recollection  of  him  was  vivid 
till  within  the  last  few  years  of  her  life.  She  remem 
bered  distinctly  his  visiting  her  father's  house  in  Phil 
adelphia  several  times,  and  she  always  resented  any 
allusion  to  her  father's  want  of  esteem  for  the  first 
President,  whom  she  admired  very  much.  She  always 
insisted  upon  her  father's  sentiments  of  admiration  for 
General  Washington's  character,  notwithstanding  his 
former  violent  opposition  to  his  policy.  Mrs.  Lead 
beater  lived  under  every  administration  from  the  first 
till  Cleveland's  first  term  inclusive.  Notwithstanding 

1  Mr.  Griffiths  has  published  the  life  of  Townsend  Harris  under  the  title 
of  "  Our  First  Diplomat  to  Japan." 

2  There  is  a  complete  and  exhaustive   record  of  the  Harris  family  in 
preparation  for  publication. 

[W] 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

her  great  age,  she  retained  the  use  of  her  faculties  to  a 
remarkable  degree  until  a  few  years  before  her  death. 
She  could  talk  by  the  hour  of  her  dearly  loved  father, 
and  frequently  entertained  visitors  by  repeating  conver 
sations  she  had  heard  him  take  part  in.  She  retained 
much  of  the  vivacity  and  even  freshness  of  her  youth 
ful  days  till  a  late  period  in  life.  It  is  related  of  her, 
shortly  after  the  death  of  the  wife  of  her  son  Philip, 
that  during  their  summer  at  Long  Branch  :  The  gov 
ernor,  who  was  a  guest  of  the  same  hotel,  announced 
that  he  would  open  the  "  hop"  that  evening  with  the 
handsomest  lady  there.  As  the  hour  approached, 
and  none  of  the  beauties  had  been  bespoken,  there  was 
considerable  wonderment  as  to  who  the  unknown  one 
could  be.  Philip  was  in  mourning  for  his  wife,  and  as 
his  daughter  was  quite  young,  they  did  not  make  their 
appearance ;  but  Mrs.  Leadbeater,  yielding  to  the 
urgent  solicitations  of  His  Excellency,  entered  the 
room  leaning  on  his  arm.  Very  lovely  she  looked, 
too,  in  her  silver-gray  silk  and  snowy  crape  turban, 
which  rivalled  her  silvery  curls ;  and  at  the  appearance 
of  her  sweet  face  all  sentiments  of  former  jealousy  were 
allayed.  She  was  quite  unconscious  of  the  joke,  but 
when  His  Excellency  insisted  upon  her  opening  the 
evening,  she  yielded  his  arm  to  a  more  youthful  aspir 
ant  for  the  honor. 

A  few  years  before  her  death  the  exceptionally  bril 
liant  faculties  of  Mrs.  Leadbeater  became  clouded, 
owing  partly  to  a  serious  disaster  which  caused  two 
apoplectic  strokes.  During  her  last  illness  she  re 
ceived  unremitting  care  from  the  members  of  her 
household,  which  consisted  of  a  daughter,  two  grand 
daughters,  and  two  great-grandchildren.  This  family 
presented  the  rather  unusual  sight  of  four  generations 
living  together.1 

1  At  the  present  time  there  are  living  fifty-three  lineal  descendants  of 
the  poet  Freneau. 


Philip  Freneau 


On  the  sixth  day  of  August  in  the  year  1888,  the 
dear  old  lady  peacefully  resigned  her  soul  into  the 
hands  of  her  Maker.  She  was  buried  in  the  family 
vault  of  Dr.  Charles  Townsend  Harris  at  Ocean  Hill, 
Greenwood. 

Among  her  papers  we  have  found  an  account  of  the 
exhumation  of  the  body  of  her  father's  old  and  valued 
friend,  James  Madison,  the  fourth  President  of  the 
United  States.1  The  account  contains  a  moral  good 
for  us  to  learn,  —  the  nothingness  of  all  that  is  created, 
and  that  God  alone  is  great. 

u  In  digging  for  the  foundation  for  the  monument  erected 
over  the  grave  of  President  Madison  the  coffin  was  exposed  to 
view.  The  appearance  of  the  remains  is  thus  described  : 
c  The  board  placed  above  the  coffin  had  decayed,  but  no  earth 
had  fallen  in  upon  it,  and  everything  appeared  to  be  as  when 
the  coffin  was  deposited  there,  except  that  the  coffin  was  slightly 
out  of  place,  allowing  a  partial  view  of  the  interior.  As  there 
was  no  fastening  to  prevent  it,  the  part  of  the  lid  covering  the 
superior  portion  of  the  body  was  raised,  and  several  gentle 
men  present  looked  in  upon  the  remains  of  the  great  Virginian. 
The  coffin  itself,  of  black  walnut,  was  in  perfect  preservation  and 
the  interior  was  nearly  filled  with  a  species  of  moss,  which  ad 
hered  tenaciously  to  the  wood.  Beneath  this,  and  partially 
hidden  by  it  were  a  few  of  the  largest  and  hardest  bones. 
The  lower  jaw  had  fallen  away,  the  bones  of  the  breast  and 
ribs  were  gone  and  the  only  parts  of  the  skeleton  which  re 
mained  were  the  skull  and  portions  of  the  cheek  bones,  the 
vertebrae  of  the  neck,  the  spine  and  the  largest  bone  of  the 
arms.  All  else  of  the  upper  part  of  the  body  had  returned  to 
the  dust  whence  it  was  taken,  and  in  a  few  years  more  every 
trace  of  the  body  will  disappear, until  the  trump  of  the  resurrec 
tion  shall  unite  the  scattered  particles.' ' 

Mors  ultima  linea  rerum  est.  —  HORACE. 

1  James  Madison  died  in  the  year  1836,  and  was  exhumed  twenty-one 
years  after  burial. 


THE    RISING   GLORY   OF   AMERICA 

[Poem  composed  and  recited  by  the  poet  at  his  graduation,  Class  of  1771.] 

Venicnt  annis 

Sacula  ftris,  quibus  oceanus 
Vincula  rcrum  Iaxety  et  ingens 
Pateat  tcllus,  Typhisquc  novas 
Detegat  orbes  ,•    ntc  Jit  terris 
Ultima  Tbule. 

SINICA,  MED.  Act.  III.  T.  375. 

ARGUMENT.  —  The  subject  proposed  —  The  discovery  of  America  by 
Columbus  —  A  philosophical  enquiry  into  the  origin  of  the  savages  of 
America  —  The  first  planters  from  Europe  —  Causes  of  their  migration  to 
America  —  The  difficulties  they  encountered  from  the  jealousy  of  the  na 
tives  —  Agriculture  descanted  on  —  Commerce  and  navigation  —  Science 
—  Future  prospects  of  British  usurpation,  tyranny,  and  devastation  on  this 
side  of  the  Atlantic  —  The  more  comfortable  one  of  Independence,  Lib 
erty,  and  Peace  —  Conclusion. 

Acasto 

Now  shall  the  adventurous  Muse  attempt  a  theme 
More  new,  more  noble,  and  more  flush  of  fame 
Than  all  that  went  before  — 
Now  through  the  veil  of  ancient  days  renew 
The  period  fam'd  when  first  Columbus  touch'd 
These  shores  so  long  unknown  — through  various  toils, 
Famine,  and  death,  the  hero  forc'd  his  way, 
Thro'  oceans  pregnant  with  perpetual  storms, 
And  climates  hostile  to  adventurous  man. 
But  why,  to  prompt  your  tears,  should  we  resume 
The  tale  of  Cortez,  furious  chief  ordain'd 
With  Indian  blood  to  dye  the  sands  and  choak, 
Fam'd  Mexico,  thy  streams  with  dead  ?  or  why 
Once  more  revive  the  tale  so  oft  rehears'd 
Of  Atabilipa,  by  thirst  of  gold, 
(All  conquering  motive  in  the  human  breast) 
Depriv'd  of  life,  which  not  Peru's  rich  ore 
Nor  Mexico's  vast  mines  could  then  redeem  ? 
Better  these  northern  realms  demand  our  song, 
Design'd  by  nature  for  the  rural  reign, 

'' 


Philip  Freneau 


For  agriculture's  toil.  —  No  blood  we  shed 
For  metals  buried  in  a  rocky  waste.  — 
Curs'd  be  that  ore,  which  brutal  makes  our  race, 
And  prompts  mankind  to  shed  a  brother's  blood  ! 

Eugenia 

But  whence  arose 

That  vagrant  race  who  love  the  shady  vale, 
And  choose  the  forest  for  their  dark  abode  ? 
For  long  has  this  perplext  the  sages'  skill 
To  investigate.  —  Tradition  lends  no  aid 
To  unveil  this  secret  to  the  mortal  eye 
When  first  these  various  nations,  north  and  south, 
Possest  these  shores,  or  from  what  countries  came?  — 
Whether  they  sprang  from  some  primeval  head 
In  their  own  lands,  like  Adam  in  the  east, — 
Yet  this  the  sacred  oracles  deny, 
And  reason,  too,  reclaims  against  the  thought  : 
For  when  the  general  deluge  drown'd  the  world 
Where  could  their  tribes  have  found  security, 
Where  find  their  fate,  but  in  the  ghastly  deep  ? 
Unless,  as  others  dream,  some  chosen  few 
High  on  the  Andes  'scap'd  the  general  death, 
High  on  the  Andes,  wrapped  in  endless  snow, 
Where  winter  in  his  wildest  fury  reigns, 
And  subtile  aether  scarce  our  life  maintains. 
But  here  philosophers  oppose  the  scheme : 
This  earth,  say  they,  nor  hills  nor  mountains  knew 
Ere  yet  the  universal  flood  prevail'd  ; 
But  when  the  mighty  waters  rose  aloft, 
Rous'd  by  the  winds,  they  shook  their  solid  base, 
And,  in  convulsions,  tore  the  delug'd  world, 
'Till  by  the  winds  assuag'd  again  they  fell, 
And  all  their  ragged  bed  expos'd  to  view. 
Perhaps,  far  wandering  toward  the  northern  pole, 
The  streights  of  Zembla,  and  the  frozen  zone, 
And  where  the  eastern  Greenland  almost  joins 
America's  north  point,  the  hardy  tribes 
Of  banish'd  Jews,  Siberians,  Tartars  wild 
Came  over  icy  mountains,  or  on  floats 
First  reach'd  these  coasts,  hid  from  the  world  beside.  - 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

And  yet  another  argument  more  strange, 
Reserv'd  for  men  of  deeper  thought,  and  late, 
Presents  itself  to  view  :  —  In  Peleg's1  days, 
(So  says  the  Hebrew  seer's  unerring  pen) 
This  mighty  mass  of  earth,  this  solid  globe 
Was  cleft  in  twain,  —  "  divided  "  east  and  west, 
While  straight  between,  the  deep  Atlantic  roll'd. 
And  traces  indisputable  remain 
Of  this  primeval  land,  now  sunk  and  lost.  — 
The  islands  rising  in  our  eastern  main 
Are  but  small  fragments  of  this  continent, 
Whose  two  extremities  were  New  Foundland 
And  St.  Helena.  —  One  far  in  the  north, 
Where  shivering  seamen  view  with  strange  surprise 
The  guiding  pole-star  glittering  o'er  their  heads ; 
The  other  near  the  southern  tropic  rears 
Its  head  above  the  waves  —  Bermuda's  isles, 
Cape  Verd,  Canary,  Britain  and  the  Azores, 
With  fam'd  Hibernia,  are  but  broken  parts 
Of  some  prodigious  waste,  which  once  sustain'd 
Nations  and  tribes,  of  vanish'd  memory, 
Forests  and  towns,  and  beasts  of  every  class, 
Where  navies  now  explore  their  briny  way. 

Leander 

Your  sophistry,  Eugenio,  makes  me  smile : 
The  roving  mind  of  man  delights  to  dwell 
On  hidden  things,  merely  because  they  're  hid  : 
He  thinks  his  knowledge  far  beyond  all  limit, 
And  boldly  fathoms  Nature's  darkest  haunts  — 
But  for  uncertainties,  your  broken  isles, 
Your  northern  Tartars,  and  your  wandering  Jews, 
(The  flimsy  cobwebs  of  a  sophist's  brains) 
Hear  what  the  voice  of  history  proclaims  — 
The  Carthagenians,  ere  the  Roman  yoke 
Broke  their  proud  spirits,  and  enslav'd  them  too, 
For  navigation  were  renown'd  as  much 
As  haughty  Tyre  with  all  her  hundred  fleets, 
Full  many  a  league  their  vent'rous  seamen  sail'd 

1  Gen.  x.  1. 


Philip  Freneau 


Thro*  streight  Gibralter,  down  the  western  shore 

Of  Africa,  to  the  Canary  isles  : 

By  them  call'd  Fortunate ;  so  Flaccus  *  sings, 

Because  eternal  spring  there  clothes  the  fields 

And  fruits  delicious  bloom  throughout  the  year.  — 

From  voyaging  here,  this  inference  I  draw, 

Perhaps  some  barque  with  all  her  numerous  crew 

Falling  to  leeward  of  her  destin'd  port, 

Caught  by  the  eastern  Trade,  was  hurried  on 

Before  the  unceasing  blast  to  Indian  isles, 

Brazil,  La  Plata,  or  the  coasts  more  south  — 

There  stranded,  and  unable  to  return, 

Forever  from  their  native  skies  estrang'd 

Doubtless  they  made  these  virgin  climes  their  own, 

And  in  the  course  of  long  revolving  years 

A  numerous  progeny  from  these  arose, 

And  spread  throughout  the  coasts  —  those  whom  we  call 

Brazilians,  Mexicans,  Peruvians  rich, 

The  tribes  of  Chili,  Patagon  and  those 

Who  till  the  shores  of  Amazon's  long  stream, 

When  first  the  power  of  Europe  here  attained 

Vast  empires,  kingdoms,  cities,  palaces, 

And  polish'd  nations  stock'd  the  fertile  land. 

Who  has  not  heard  of  Cuzco,  Lima  and 

The  town  of  Mexico  —  huge  cities  form'd 

From  Europe's  architecture ;  ere  the  arms 

Of  haughty  Spain  disturbed  the  peaceful  soil.  — 

But  here  amid  this  northern  dark  domain 

No  towns  were  seen  to  rise.  —  No  arts  were  here ; 

The  tribes  unskill'd  to  raise  the  lofty  mast, 

Or  force  the  daring  prow  thro'  adverse  waves, 

Gaz'd  on  the  pregnant  soil,  and  crav'd  alone 

Life  from  the  unaided  genius  of  the  ground,  — 

This  indicates  they  were  a  different  race ; 

From  whom  descended,  't  is  not  ours  to  say  — 

That  power,  no  doubt,  who  furnish'd  trees  and  plants, 

And  animals  to  this  vast  continent, 

Spoke  into  being  man  among  the  rest, — 

But  what  a  change  is  here !   what  arts  arise ! 

1  Hor.  Epod.  16. 

[240} 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

What  towns  and  capitals  !   how  commerce  waves 
Her  gaudy  flags,  where  silence  reign'd  before ! 

Acasto 

Speak,  my  Eugenio,  for  I  've  heard  you  tell, 
The  dismal  story,  and  the  cause  that  brought 
The  first  adventurers  to  these  western  shores ; 
The  glorious  cause  that  urg'd  our  fathers  first 
To  visit  climes  unknown,  and  wilder  woods 
Than  e'er  Tartarian  or  Norwegian  saw, 
And  with  fair  culture  to  adorn  a  soil 
That  never  felt  the  industrious  swain  before. 

Eugenio 

All  this  long  story  to  rehearse,  would  tire, 
Besides,  the  sun  toward  the  west  retreats, 
Nor  can  the  noblest  theme  retard  his  speed, 
Nor  loftiest  verse  —  not  that  which  sang  the  fall 
Of  Troy  divine,  and  fierce  Achilles'  ire. 
Yet  hear  a  part :  —  by  persecution  wrong'd, 
And  sacerdotal  rage,  our  fathers  came 
From  Europe's  hostile  shores,  to  these  abodes, 
Here  to  enjoy  a  liberty  in  faith, 
Secure  from  tyranny  and  base  controul. 
For  this  they  left  their  country  and  their  friends, 
And  dar'd  the  Atlantic  wave  in  search  of  peace  ; 
And  found  new  shores,  and  sylvan  settlements, 
And  men,  alike  unknowing  and  unknown. 
Hence,  by  the  care  of  each  adventurous  chief 
New  governments  (their  wealth  unenvied  yet) 
Were  form'd  on  liberty  and  virtue's  plan. 
These  searching  out  uncultivated  tracts 
Conceiv'd  new  plans  of  towns,  and  capitals, 
And  spacious  provinces.  —  Why  should  I  name 
Thee,  Penn,  the  Solon  of  our  western  lands 
Sagacious  legislator,  whom  the  world 
Admires,  long  dead  :   an  infant  colony, 
Nurs'd  by  thy  care,  now  rises  o'er  the  rest 
Like  that  tall  pyramid  in  Egypt's  waste 
O'er  all  the  neighbouring  piles,  they  also  great. 


Philip  Freneau 

Why  should  I  name  those  heroes  so  well  known, 

Who  peopled  all  the  rest  from  Canada 

To  Georgia's  farthest  coast,  West  Florida, 

Or  Apalachian  mountains  ?  —  Yet  what  streams 

Of  blood  were  shed  !  what  Indian  hosts  were  slain, 

Before  the  days  of  peace  were  quite  restored ! 

Leander 

Yes,  while  they  overturn'd  the  rugged  soil 
And  swept  the  forests  from  the  shaded  plain 
'Midst  dangers,  foes,  and  death,  fierce  Indian  tribes 
With  vengeful  malice  arm'd,  and  black  design, 
Oft  murdered,  or  dispers'd,  these  colonies  — 
Encourag'd,  too,  by  Gallia's  hostile  sons, 
A  warlike  race,  who  late  their  arms  display 'd 
At  Quebec,  Montreal,  and  farthest  coasts 
Of  Labrador,  or  Cape  Breton,  where  now 
The  British  standard  awes  the  subject  host. 
Here,  those  brave  chiefs,  who,  lavish  of  their  blood, 
Fought  in  Britannia's  cause,  in  battle  fell !  — 
What  heart  but  mourns  the  untimely  fate  of  Wolfe 
Who,  dying,  conquer'd  !  —  or  what  breast  but  beats 
To  share  a  fate  like  his,  and  die  like  him  ! 

Acasto 

But  why  alone  commemorate  the  dead, 

And  pass  those  glorious  heroes  by,  who  yet 

Breathe  the  same  air,  and  see  the  light  with  us  ?  — 

The  dead,  Leander,  are  but  empty  names, 

And  they  who  fall  to-day  the  same  to  us, 

As  they  who  fell  ten  centuries  ago  !  — 

Lost  are  they  all,  that  shin'd  on  earth  before  ; 

Rome's  boldest  champions  in  the  dust  are  laid, 

Ajax  and  great  Achilles  are  no  more, 

And  Philip's  warlike  son,  an  empty  shade !  — 

A  Washington  among  our  sons  of  fame 

We  boast  conspicuous  as  the  morning  star 

Among  the  inferior  lights  — 

To  distant  wilds  Virginia  sent  him  forth  — 

With  her  brave  sons  he  gallantly  oppos'd 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

The  bold  invaders  of  his  country's  rights. 
Where  wild  Ohio  pours  the  mazy  flood, 
And  mighty  meadows  skirt  his  subject  streams.  — 
But  now,  delighting  in  his  elm  tree's  shade, 
Where  deep  Potowmac  laves  the  enchanting  shore, 
He  prunes  the  tender  vine,  or  bids  the  soil 
Luxuriant  harvests  to  the  sun  display.  — 
Behold  a  different  scene  —  not  thus  employed 
Were  Cortez,  and  Pizarro,  pride  of  Spain, 
Whom  blood  and  murder  only  satisfy'd, 
And  all  to  glut  their  avarice  and  ambition !  — 

Eugenia 

Such  is  the  curse,  Acasto,  where  the  soul 

Humane  is  wanting  —  but  we  boast  no  feats 

Of  cruelty  like  Europe's  murdering  breed  — 

Our  milder  epithet  is  merciful, 

And  each  American,  true  hearted,  learns 

To  conquer,  and  to  spare ;  for  coward  souls 

Alone  seek  vengeance  on  a  vanquished  foe. 

Gold,  fatal  gold,  was  the  alluring  bait, 

To  Spain's  rapacious  tribes  —  hence  rose  the  wars 

From  Chili  to  the  Caribbean  Sea, 

And  Montezuma's  Mexican  domains  : 

More  blest  are  we,  with  whose  unenvied  soil 

Nature  decreed  no  mingling  gold  to  shine, 

No  flaming  diamond,  precious  emerald, 

No  blushing  sapphire,  ruby,  chrysolite, 

Or  jasper  red  —  more  noble  riches  flow 

From  agriculture,  and  the  industrious  swain, 

Who  tills  the  fertile  vale,  or  mountain's  brow, 

Content  to  lead  a  safe,  a  humble  life, 

Among  his  native  hills,  romantic  shades 

Such  as  the  muse  of  Greece  of  old  did  feign, 

Allur'd  the  Olympian  gods  from  chrystal  skies, 

Envying  such  lovely  scenes  to  mortal  man. 

Leander 

Long  has  the  rural  life  been  justly  fam'd, 
And  bards  of  old  their  pleasing  pictures  drew 

[w] 


Philip  Freneau 


Of  flowery  meads,  and  groves,  and  gliding  streams  ; 

Hence,  old  Arcadia  —  wood-nymphs,  satyrs,  fauns, 

And  hence  Elysium,  fancied  heaven  below !  — 

Fair  agriculture,  not  unworthy  kings, 

Once  exercis'd  the  royal  hand,  or  those 

Whose  virtue  rais'd  them  to  the  rank  of  gods ! 

See,  old  Laertes  1  in  his  shepherd  weeds 

Far  from  his  pompous  throne  and  court  august, 

Digging  the  grateful  soil,  where  round  him  rise 

Sons  of  the  earth,  the  tall  aspiring  oaks, 

Or  orchards,  boasting  of  more  fertile  boughs, 

Laden  with  apples  red,  sweet  scented  peach/ 

Pear,  cherry,  apricot,  or  spongy  plumb  ; 

While  through  the  glebe  the  industrious  oxen  draw 

The  earth-inverting  plough, —  Those  Romans  too, 

Fabricius  and  Camillus,  lov'd  a  life 

Of  neat  simplicity  and  rustic  bliss, 

And  from  the  noisy  Forum  hastening  far, 

From  busy  camps,  and  sycophants,  and  crowns, 

'Midst  woods  and  fields  spent  the  remains  of  life, 

Where  full  enjoyment  still  awaits  the  wise. 

How  grateful,  to  behold  the  harvests  rise, 

And  mighty  crops  adorn  the  extended  plains  ! 

Fair  plenty  smiles  throughout,  while  lowing  herds 

Stalk  o'er  the  shrubby  hill  or  grassy  mead, 

Or  at  some  shallow  river  slake  their  thirst.  — 

The  mclosure,  now,  succeeds  the  shepherd's  care, 

Yet  milk-white  flocks  adorn  the  well  stock'd  farm, 

And  court  the  attention  of  the  industrious  swain  — 

Their  fleece  rewards  him  well ;  and  when  the  winds 

Blow  with  a  keener  blast,  and  from  the  north 

Pour  mingled  tempests  through  a  sunless  sky 

(Ice,  sleet,  and  rattling  hail)  secure  he  sits 

Warm  in  his  cottage,  fearless  of  the  storm, 

Enjoying  now  the  toils  of  milder  moons, 

Yet  hoping  for  the  spring.  —  Such  are  the  joys, 

And  such  the  toils  of  those  whom  heaven  hath  bless'd 

With  souls  enamour'd  of  a  country  life. 

1  Horn.  Odyss.  lib.  14. 

[244} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

Acasto 

Such  are  the  visions  of  the  rustic  reign  — 

But  this  alone,  the  fountain  of  support, 

Would  scarce  employ  the  varying  mind  of  man ; 

Each  seeks  employ,  and  each  a  different  way  : 

Strip  Commerce  of  her  sail,  and  men  once  more 

Would  be  converted  into  savages  — 

No  nation  e'er  grew  social  and  refin'd 

'Till  Commerce  first  had  wing'd  the  adventurous  prow, 

Or  sent  the  slow-pac'd  caravan,  afar, 

To  waft  their  produce  to  some  other  clime, 

And  bring  the  wish'd  exchange  —  thus  came,  of  old, 

Golconda's  golden  ore,  and  thus  the  wealth 

Of  Ophir,  to  the  wisest  of  mankind. 

Eugenia 

Great  is  the  praise  of  Commerce,  and  the  men 

Deserve  our  praise,  who  spread  the  undaunted  sail, 

And  traverse  every  sea  —  their  dangers  great, 

Death  still  to  combat  in  the  unfeeling  gale, 

And  every  billow  but  a  gaping  grave ;  — 

There,  skies  and  waters,  wearying  on  the  eye, 

For  weeks  and  months  no  other  prospect  yield 

But  barren  wastes,  unfathom'd  depths,  where  not 

The  blissful  haunt  of  human  form  is  seen 

To  cheer  the  unsocial  horrors  of  the  way  — 

Yet  all  these  bold  designs  to  science  owe 

Their  rise  and  glory  —  Hail,  fair  Science  !  thou, 

Transplanted  from  the  eastern  skies,  dost  bloom 

In  these  blest  regions  —  Greece  and  Rome  no  more 

Detain  the  Muses  on  Cithaeron's  brow, 

Or  old  Olympus,  crown'd  with  waving  woods, 

Or  Haemus'  top,  where  once  was  heard  the  harp, 

Sweet  Orpheus'  harp,  that  gain'd  his  cause  below, 

And  pierc'd  the  heart  of  Orcus  and  his  bride ; 

That  hush'd  to  silence  by  its  voice  divine 

Thy  melancholy  waters,  and  the  gales, 

O  Hebrus !  that  o'er  thy  sad  surface  blow.  — 

No  more  the  maids  round  Alpheus'  waters  stray, 

Where  he  with  Arethusa's  stream  doth  mix, 

[**>] 


Philip  Freneau 

Or  where  swift  Tiber  disembogues  his  waves 

Into  the  Italian  sea,  so  long  unsung; 

Hither  they  wing  their  way,  the  last,  the  best 

Of  countries,  where  the  arts  shall  rise  and  grow, 

And  arms  shall  have  their  day  —  even  now  we  boast 

A  Franklin,  prince  of  all  philosophy, 

A  genius  piercing  as  the  electric  fire, 

Bright  as  the  lightning's  flash,  explain'd  so  well 

By  him  the  rival  of  Britannia's  sage.  — 1 

This  is  the  land  of  every  joyous  sound 

Of  liberty  and  life,  sweet  liberty ! 

Without  whose  aid  the  noblest  genius  fails, 

And  science  irretrievably  must  die. 

Leander 

But  come,  Eugenio,  since  we  know  the  past  — 

What  hinders  to  pervade  with  searching  eye 

The  mystic  scenes  of  dark  futurity  ! 

Say,  shall  we  ask  what  empires  yet  must  rise, 

What  kingdoms,  powers  and  states,  where  now  are  seen 

Mere  dreary  wastes  and  awful  solitude, 

Where  Melancholy  sits,  with  eye  forlorn, 

And  time  anticipates,  when  we  shall  spread 

Dominion  from  the  north,  and  south,  and  west, 

Far  from  the  Atlantic  to  Pacific  shores, 

And  shackle  half  the  convex  of  the  main  !  — 

A  glorious  theme  !  —  but  how  shall  mortals  dare 

To  pierce  the  dark  events  of  future  years, 

And  scenes  unravel,  only  known  to  fate  ? 

Acasto 

This  might  we  do,  if  warm'd  by  that  bright  coal 
Snatch'd  from  the  altar  of  cherubic  fire, 
Which  touch'd  Isaiah's  lips  —  or  if  the  spirit 
Of  Jeremy  and  Amos,  prophets  old, 
Might  swell  the  heaving  breast  —  I  see,  I  see 
Freedom's  establish'd  reign  ;  cities,  and  men, 
Numerous  as  sands  upon  the  ocean  shore, 
And  empires  rising  where  the  sun  descends  !  — 

1  Newton. 


"The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

The  Ohio  soon  shall  glide  by  many  a  town 
Of  note,  and  where  the  Mississippi  stream, 
By  forest  shaded,  now  runs  weeping  on, 
Nations  shall  grow,  and  states,  not  less  in  fame 
Than  Greece  and  Rome  of  old  !  —  we  too  shall  boast 
Our  Scipios,  Solons,  Catos,  sages,  chiefs, 
That  in  the  womb  of  time  yet  dormant  lie, 
Waiting  the  joyous  hour  of  life  and  light. 
O  snatch  me  hence,  ye  muses,  to  those  days 
When  through  the  veil  of  dark  antiquity 
Our  sons  shall  hear  of  us  as  things  remote, 
That  blossom'd  in  the  morn  of  days  —  Alas  ! 
How  could  I  weep  that  we  were  born  so  soon, 
Just  in  the  dawning  of  these  mighty  times, 
Whose  scenes  are  panting  for  eternity  ! 
Dissensions  that  shall  swell  the  trump  of  fame, 
And  ruin  brooding  o'er  all  monarchy ! 

Eugenia 

Nor  shall  these  angry  tumults  here  subside 

Nor  murders 1  cease,  through  all  these  provinces, 

Till  foreign  crowns  have  vanish'd  from  our  view 

And  dazzle  here  no  more  —  no  more  presume 

To  awe  the  spirit  of  fair  Liberty  — 

Vengeance  shall  cut  the  thread  —  and  Britain,  sure, 

Will  curse  her  fatal  obstinacy  for  it ! 

Bent  on  the  ruin  of  this  injur'd  country, 

She  will  not  listen  to  our  humble  prayers, 

Though  offer*  d  with  submission  : 

Like  vagabonds,  and  objects  of  destruction, 

Like  those  whom  all  mankind  are  sworn  to  hate, 

She  casts  us  off  from  her  protection, 

And  will  invite  the  nations  round  about, 

Russians  and  Germans,  slaves  and  savages, 

To  come  and  have  a  share  in  our  perdition  — 

O  cruel  race,  O  unrelenting  Britain, 

Who  bloody  beasts  will  hire  to  cut  our  throats, 

Who  war  will  wage  with  prattling  innocence, 

1  The  massacre  at  Boston,  March  5,  1770,  is  here  more  particularly 
glanced  at. 

[Wl 


Philip  Freneau 

And  basely  murder  unoffending  women  !  — 
Will  stab  their  prisoners  when  they  cry  for  quarter, 
Will  burn  our  towns,  and  from  his  lodging  turn 
The  poor  inhabitant  to  sleep  in  tempests  !  — 
These  will  be  wrongs,  indeed,  and  all  sufficient 
To  kindle  up  our  souls  to  deeds  of  horror, 
And  give  to  every  arm  the  nerves  of  Samson 
These  are  the  men  that  fill  the  world  with  ruin, 
And  every  region  mourns  their  greedy  sway  — 
Nor  only  for  ambition. 

But  what  are  this  world's  goods,  that  they  for  them 
Should  exercise  perpetual  butchery  ? 
What  are  these  mighty  riches  we  possess, 
That  they  should  send  so  far  to  plunder  them  ?  — 
Already  have  we  felt  their  potent  arm  — 
And  ever  since  that  inauspicious  day, 
When  first  Sir  Francis  Bernard 
His  cannons  planted  at  the  council  door, 
And  made  the  assembly  room  a  home  for  strumpets, 
And  soldiers  rank  and  file  —  e'er  since  that  day 
This  wretched  land,  that  drinks  its  children's  gore, 
Has  been  a  scene  of  tumult  and  confusion  !  — 
Are  there  not  evils  in  the  world  enough  ? 
Are  we  so  happy  that  they  envy  us  ? 
Have  we  not  toil'd  to  satisfy  their  harpies, 
King's  deputies,  that  are  insatiable; 
Whose  practice  is  to  incense  the  royal  mind 
And  make  us  despicable  in  his  view  ? 
Have  we  not  all  the  evils  to  contend  with 
That,  in  this  life,  mankind  are  subject  to, 
Pain,  sickness,  poverty  and  natural  death  — 
But  into  every  wound  that  nature  gave 
They  will  a  dagger  plunge,  and  make  them  mortal ! 

Leander 

Enough,  enough  —  such  dismal  scenes  you  paint, 
I  almost  shudder  at  the  recollection  — 
What,  are  they  dogs  that  they  would  mangle  us  ?  — 
Are  these  the  men  that  come  with  base  design 
To  rob  the  hive,  and  kill  the  industrious  bee  !  — 

[248} 


The  Poet  of  the  Revolution 

To  brighter  skies  I  turn  my  ravish'd  view, 
And  fairer  prospects  from  the  future  draw  — 
Here  independent  power  shall  hold  her  sway, 
And  public  virtue  warm  the  patriot  breast : 
No  traces  shall  remain  of  tyranny, 
And  laws,  a  pattern  to  the  world  beside, 
Be  here  enacted  first. 


Acasto 

And  when  a  train  of  rolling  years  are  past, 
(So  sung  the  exiPd  seer  in  Patmos  isle) 
A  new  Jerusalem,  sent  down  from  heaven, 
Shall  grace  our  happy  earth  —  perhaps  this  land, 
Whose  ample  breast  shall  then  receive,  tho'  late, 
Myriads  of  saints,  with  their  immortal  king, 
To  live  and  reign  on  earth  a  thousand  years, 
Thence  called  Millennium.     Paradise  anew 
Shall  flourish,  by  no  second  Adam  lost. 
No  dangerous  tree  with  deadly  fruit  shall  grow, 
No  tempting  serpent  to  allure  the  soul 
From  native  innocence.  —  A  Canaan  here, 
Another  Canaan  shall  excel  the  old, 
And  from  a  fairer  Pisgah's  top  be  seen. 
No  thistle  here,  nor  thorn  nor  briar  shall  spring, 
Earth's  curse  before  :  the  lion  and  the  lamb, 
In  mutual  friendship  link'd,  shall  browse  the  shrub, 
And  timorous  deer  with  softened  tygers  stray 
O'er  mead,  or  lofty  hill,  or  grassy  plain  : 
Another  Jordan's  stream  shall  glide  along, 
And  Siloah's  brook  in  circling  eddies  flow  : 
Groves  shall  adorn  their  verdant  banks,  on  which 
The  happy  people,  free  from  toils  and  death, 
Shall  find  secure  repose.     No  fierce  disease, 
No  fevers,  slow  consumption,  ghastly  plague, 
(Fate's  ancient  ministers)  again  proclaim 
Perpetual  war  with  man  :   fair  fruits  shall  bloom, 
Fair  to  the  eye,  and  grateful  to  the  taste ; 
Nature's  loud  storms  be  hush'd,  and  seas  no  more 
Rage  hostile  to  mankind  —  and,  worse  than  all, 
The  fiercer  passions  of  the  human  breast 


Philip  Freneau 


Shall  kindle  up  to  deeds  of  death  no  more, 
But  all  subside  in  universal  peace  — 

Such  days  the  world, 

And  such,  America,  thou  first  shalt  have, 
When  ages,  yet  to  come,  have  run  their  round, 
And  future  years  of  bliss  alone  remain. 
1771. 


Appendix 


Appendix 


[See  page  6] 

N  a  exagere  infiniment  le  nombre  des  huguenots  qui 
sortirent  du  royaume  a  cette  occasion,  et  cela  devoit 
etre  ainsi.  Comme  les  interesses  sont  les  seuls  qui 
parlent  et  qui  client,  ils  affirment  tout  ce  qui  leur 
plait.  Un  ministre  qui  voyoit  son  troupeau  disperse  publioit 
qu'il  avoit  passe  chez  1'etranger.  Un  chef  de  manufacture 
qui  avoit  perdu  deux  ouvriers  faisoit  son  calcul  comme  si  tous 
les  fabricans  du  royaume  avoient  fait  la  meme  perte  que  lui. 
Dix  ouvriers  sortis  d'une  ville  ou  ils  avoient  leurs  connois- 
sances  et  leurs  amis  faisoient  croire,  par  le  bruit  de  leur  fuite, 
que  la  ville  alloit  manquer  de  bras  pour  tous  les  ateliers.  Ce 
qu'il  y  a  de  surprenant,  c'est  que  plusieurs  maitres  des  re- 
quetes,  dans  les  instructions  qu'ils  m'adresserent  sur  leurs 
generalites,  adopterent  ces  bruits  populaires,  et  annoncerent 
par  la  combien  ils  etoient  peu  instruits  de  ce  qui  devoit  les 
occuper ;  aussi  leur  rapport  se  trouva-t-il  contredit  par  d'autres, 
et  demontre  faux  par  la  verification  faite  en  plusieurs  endroits. 
Quand  le  nombre  des  huguenots  qui  sortirent  de  France  a 
cette  epoque  monteroit,  suivant  le  calcul  le  plus  exagere,  a 
soixante-sept  mille  sept  cent  trente-deux  personnes,  il  ne 
devoit  pas  se  trouver  parmi  ce  nombre,  qui  comprenoit  tous 
les  ages  et  tous  les  sexes,  assez  d'hommes  utiles  pour  laisser 
un  grand  vide  dans  les  campagnes  et  dans  les  ateliers,  et 
influer  sur  le  royaume  entier.  II  est  certain  d'ailleurs  que 
ce  vide  ne  dut  jamais  etre  plus  sensible  qu'au  moment  ou 
il  se  fit.  On  ne  s'en  aper$ut  pas  alors,  et  Ton  s'en  plaint 
aujourd'hui !  II  faut  done  en  chercher  une  autre  cause  :  elle 
existe  en  effet,  et,  si  on  veut  le  savoir,  c'est  la  guerre.  Quant 
a  la  retraite  des  huguenots,  elle  couta  moins  d'hommes  utiles  a 
PEtat,  que  ne  lui  en  enlevoit  une  seule  annee  de  guerre 
civile."  i 

1  Vie  du  Due  de  Bourgogne,  tome  ii.  p.  108. 


Philip  Freneau 


[See  page  <5] 

"S'il  falloit  ecouter  certains  declamateurs,  on  croirait  que 
les  richesses  et  la  prosperite  avoient  fui  la  France  avec  les  pro- 
testans  refugies ;  et  cependant,  je  le  demande,  le  commerce  et 
rindustrie  ont-ils  cesse  de  prendre  des  accroissemens  ?  Dans 
le  cours  du  dix-huitieme  siecle,  n'a-t-on  pas  vu  se  multiplier 
de  toutes  parts  les  etoffes  precieuses,  les  meubles  superbes,  les 
tableaux  des  grands  maitres,  les  maisons  richement  decores  ? 

"  A  Pepoque  de  la  revocation,  notre  commerce,  a  peine  sorti 
des  mains  de  Colbert,  son  createur,  etoit  encore  dans  1'enfance. 
Que  pouvrons-nous  apprendre  a  nos  rivaux,  de  ce  qui  nous 
avions  tout  appris  ?  L'Angleterre,  la  Hollande,  1'Italie,  nous 
avoit  devances  dans  la  carriere ;  les  manufactures  de  Louviers 
et  de  Sedan  ont  eu  leurs  modeles  chez  nos  voisins.  Le 
nom  seul  d'un  tres  grand  nombre  de  nos  fabrications  rapelle 
Londres,  Florence,  Naples,  Turin,  et  decele  ainsi  une  ori- 
gine  etrangere."  * 

[See  page  7] 

u  Les  arrets  et  les  edits  se  succedoient  rapidement,  on  pen- 
soit  alors  que  les  edits  precedens  de  tolerance  et  de  pacification 
n'etoient  pas  des  traites  d'alliance,  mais  des  ordonnances  faites 
par  les  rois  pour  Putilite  publique,  et  sujets  a  revocation  lorsque 
le  bien  de  1'Etat  le  demande.  Tel  etoit  le  sentiment  du 
docteur  Arnauld,  et,  ce  qui  est  plus  remarquable,  de  Grotius 
lui-meme.  Le  gouvernement  francais  paroissait  suivre  le  meme 
systeme  politique  que  les  gouvernements  protestans  avoient  mis 
depuis  longtemps  a  execution  centre  leurs  sujets  catholiques ; 
et  meme,  en  comparent  leur  code  penal  avec  celui  de  la  France, 
il  seroit  facile  de  prouver  qu'il  se  montra  plus  indulgent  et  plus 
tolerant."  2 

[See  page  47-] 

"  The  Blue  Bells  "  was  at  the  present  Washington  Heights, 
on  the  east  side  of  the  old  Kingsbridge  road,  and  opposite  the 
Bennett  place,  formerly  owned  by  Mr.  Henry  O'Reilly.  We 
are  told  by  Mr.  Blasie  Ryer  of  that  vicinity  that  it  was  a  long, 
low-roofed  frame  house,  and  was  demolished  many  years  ago. 

1  Conferences  par  M.  I.  Frayssinous,  liv.  iii.  p.  1*7. 

2  Histoire  de  Bossuet,  tome  iii.  p.  87. 


Appendix 


This  tavern  was  kept  during  the  Revolution  by  one  Wilson,  an 
Englishman  and  a  Tory.  It  was  a  favorite  rendezvous  of  Brit 
ish  officers,  who  there  once  concocted  a  night  job  for  the  cap 
ture  of  Washington  ;  discovered,  however,  in  time  to  save  him, 
by  a  Scotch  servant  girl  of  the  house,  by  the  name  of  Douglas. 
She  let  out  the  secret  to  a  good  patriot  woman,  Mrs.  Bauer, 
living  across  the  street,  —  our  informant's  grandmother,  —  who 
contrived  to  send  word  to  the  General  by  her  little  Christine, 
to  keep  out  of  the  way  that  night."  —  Magazine  of  American 
History,  vol.  vi.  I. 

[See  page  32] 

Etienne  DeLancey  1  was  descended  from  Guy  DeLancey 
Viscount  de  Loval  and  de  Nourion.  At  the  time  of  the 
Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  he  and  his  widowed 
mother,  being  stanch  Protestants,  were  obliged  to  seek  flight 
or  concealment  for  safety.  Etienne,  then  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three,  chose  the  former.  Before  parting,  his  mother 
gave  him  the  family  jewels,  they  being  the  most  available 
property  for  him,  and  he  succeeded  in  escaping  with  them  to 
Holland,  and  from  there  went  to  England,  where  he  em 
barked  for  America,  after  obtaining  letters  of  denization.  By 
the  sale  of  his  jewels  he  obtained  a  considerable  sum  that 
enabled  him  to  enter  a  profitable  commercial  business.  His 
rank  and  high  personal  character  acquired  for  him  a  high 
position  amongst  the  French  refugees  in  New  York,  and  he 
was  one  of  the  first  anciens  of  the  French  Church.  He 
married  a  daughter  of  Stephen  Van  Cortlandt  and  founded 
a  family  of  social  and  political  distinction.  His  son  James 
became  Chief  Justice  and  Lieut.  Governor  of  the  province. 
This  family  is  now  represented  by  Edward  Floyd  Delancey, 
Esq.,  of  New  York,  who  is  the  head  of  this  branch,  all  the 
other  branches  having  become  extinct  in  the  male  line.  — 
Baird's  Huguenot  Emigration. 

[See  page  <5j] 

Jacques  Desbrosses  was  a  Huguenot  refugee  from  Mon- 
champ,  France,  and  arrived  in  the  city  of  New  York  in  1701. 
He  married  Helene  Gaudineau  in  1703.  She  was  the 

1  Like  many  other  names  this  has  changed  from  its  original  form. 


Philip  Freneau 


daughter  of  a  Huguenot  physician  of  Sigournais,  France,  who 
was  very  active  during  Leisler's  time;  and  the  latter  threw 
him  into  prison  for  refusing  to  surrender  his  commission. 
He  was  an  ancien  of  the  French  Church  and  obtained  the 
freedom  of  the  city  in  1702,  He  was  afterwards  a  vestry 
man  of  Trinity  Church. 

Jacques  and  Helene  had  six  children  all  of  whom  were 
baptized  in  the  French  Church.  Their  eldest  son,  likewise 
Jacques,  was  an  ancien  of  that  congregation,  and  the  youngest, 
Elie,  was  a  vestryman  and  warden  of  Trinity  Church,  New 
York  City.  In  his  will  he  left  to  the  corporation  of  the  latter 
church  a  fund  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  such  French  clergy 
as  should  perform  divine  service  in  the  French  language,  but 
according  to  the  liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England.  One  of 
the  streets  in  New  York  is  named  after  this  family.  —  BaircTs 
Huguenot  Emigration. 

[See  page  63} 

John  Fanning  Watson,  the  antiquary  and  annalist,  was  born 
at  Batsto,  Burlington  County,  New  Jersey,  in  1780,  and  died 
in  Germantown,  Pennsylvania,  December  23,  1860.  He  had 
a  bookstore  in  Philadelphia  for  many  years,  and  employed  his 
leisure  in  gathering  items  of  interest  in  regard  to  the  early 
history  of  Philadelphia  ;  which  he  published  under  the  title  of 
u  Annals  of  Philadelphia,"  8vo,  1830;  and  a  second  edition 
in  two  volumes  in  1844.  The  success  of  this  work  led  him 
to  collect  and  publish  some  incidents  of  early  and  revolution 
ary  history  pertaining  to  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  under 
the  title  of  "  Historic  Tales  of  the  Olden  Times  in  Penn 
sylvania,  1833."  In  ^46  he  published  "Annals  of  New 
York  City  and  State,"  and  in  1856  a  "  History  of  the  United 
States."  —  American  Cyclopaedia. 

\See  page  89] 

The  family  of  Morin  was  from  Niort,  one  of  the  former 
Huguenot  strongholds  in  France.  Upon  escaping  from  the 
latter  country  in  the  year  1685,  the  Morins,  along  with  the 
Quintards,  with  whom  they  were  related,  sought  refuge  in 
Bristol,  England,  where  Sir  Jonathan  Trelawney  procured  for 


Appendix 


the  use  of  the  refugees  the  beautiful  Church  of  St.  Marks,  or 
the  Gaunt  Chapel. 

The  Morins  and  the  Quintards  belonged  to  the  Narragan- 
sett  Colony,  but  finally  came  to  New  York,  where  Pierre 
Morin  married,  in  the  year  1700,  Esther,  daughter  of  Elie 
Charron.  By  her  he  had  nine  children,  three  boys  and  six 
girls,  two  of  the  latter  being  twins. 

The  Right  Rev.  Ch.  T.  Quintard,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  Bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Ten 
nessee,  is  a  descendant  in  the  fifth  generation  of  this  family. 
The  Quintards  finally  moved  to  Stamford,  Conn.,  where  their 
descendants  yet  live. 

[See  page  95] 

On  May  26,  1775,  the  British  warship  "  Asia,"  of  sixty-four 
guns,  arrived  with  orders  to  take  on  board  the  Royal  Irish 
Regiment,  which  was  quartered  at  the  Upper  Barracks  in  the 
Park.  The  departure  of  this  detachment  almost  led  to  blood 
shed.  The  committee  had  issued  an  order  permitting  the 
troops  to  leave  unhindered,  with  such  arms  and  accoutrements 
as  they  carried  on  their  persons. 

The  people  gathered  in  the  streets  to  see  the  departure  of 
the  thoroughly  unpopular  redcoats,  and  were  astonished  to  see, 
directly  behind  the  first  lines,  a  number  of  carts  containing 
stacks  of  arms.  Among  those  who  noticed  this  unexpected 
feature  of  the  procession  was  Marinus  Willett,  a  prominent 
"  Son  of  Liberty  "  and  Captain  in  the  First  Regiment,  u  New 
York  Line."  He  immediately  gave  the  alarm  and  began  col 
lecting  a  force  to  prevent  the  troops  from  carrying  off  their 
spare  arms. 

u  The  way  I  took,"  to  quote  his  own  words  ("  New  York 
in  the  Revolution,"  Mercantile  Library  Collection), "  brought 
me  to  the  front  of  the  troops,  as  they  were  marching,  before 
any  of  the  other  persons  who  set  out  on  the  same  business. 
On  my  arrival  in  their  front,  which  was  at  the  corner  of 
Beaver  Street,  in  Broad  Street,  I  stopped  the  horse  that  was 
drawing  the  front  cartload  of  arms.  This,  of  course,  occasioned 
a  halt  of  the  troops,  and  brought  the  Major  of  the  regiment, 
who  was  the  commanding  officer,  in  front  to  inquire  into  the 
cause  of  the  halt.  I  had  the  horse  by  the  head,  and  on  the 
appearance  of  the  Major  informed  him  that  the  halt  was  made 

[  257  ] 


Philip  Freneau 


to  prevent  the  spare  arms  from  being  carried  off,  as  the  act  of 
the  committee  did  not  authorize  the  troops  taking  any  other 
arms  than  such  as  they  carried  on  their  backs. 

"  While  I  was  making  this  explanation  to  the  Major,  David 
Matthews,  Esq.,  came  up  and  accosted  me  in  the  following 
words  :  '  I  am  surprised,  Mr.  Willet,  that  you  will  hazard 
the  peace  and  endanger  the  lives  of  our  citizens  when  you 
know  that  the  committee  has  directed  that  the  troops  shall  be 
permitted  to  depart  unmolested.'  As  Mr.  Matthews  was  a 
Tory  and  zealous  supporter  of  the  measures  of  the  British 
Government,  his  presence  or  opinion  could  have ,  no  influence 
with  me,  and  I  very  unhesitatingly  assured  him  .  .  .  that, 
considering  the  bloody  business  which  had  taken  place  among 
our  brethren  in  Massachusetts,  whom  we  were  bound  by  ties 
of  honor  as  well  as  interest  to  support,  I  deemed  it  my  duty 
to  prevent  these  arms  from  being  used  against  them,  and  con 
ceived  that  it  would  be  much  more  reputable  for  us  to  em 
ploy  them  in  the  defence  of  our  injured  country. 

"  While  this  question  was  agitating  with  the  Major  and  the 
Mayor,  [Matthews,]  Mr.  Gouverneur  Morris  made  his  appear 
ance,  and,  to  my  great  astonishment,  joined  the  Mayor  in  opin 
ion.  Mr.  Morris's  situation  was  very  different  from  that  of  the 
Mayor's.  He  was  a  Whig  of  very  respectable  connections 
and  young,  of  brilliant  talents.  To  be  opposed  by  Mr.  Mor 
ris  staggered  me  —  And  I  doubt  whether  all  my  zeal  and  en 
thusiasm  would  have  supported  me  had  it  not  been  for  the 
arrival  at  that  critical  moment  of  John  Morin  Scott,  who  was 
an  influential  member  of  the  committee,  and  whose  reputation 
for  talents  was  as  great  as  any  in  the  city.  He  came  up  just 
as  I  was  repeating  to  Mr.  Morris  the  reasons  of  my  conduct, 
and  exclaimed  in  a  loud  voice:  'You  are  right,  Willett ;  the 
committee  has  not  given  them  permission  to  carry  off  any 
spare  arms.'  By  this  time  the  throng  of  people  around  us  had 
greatly  increased  and  were  pressing  in  on  every  side.  Mr. 
Scott's  opinion  was  scarcely  proclaimed  when  I  turned  the 
front  cart  to  the  right  and  directed  the  cartman  to  drive  up 
Beaver  Street ;  the  other  carts,  which  were  loaded  with  arms, 
were  made  to  follow." 

At  the  suggestion  of  Scott,  Willett  jumped  in  one  of  the  carts 
and  announced  to  the  soldiers  that  if  they  were  ready  to  aid  in 


Appendix 


the  bloody  business  the  patriots  were  ready  to  meet  them  u  in 
the  sanguine  field,"  but  if  any  of  them  felt  a  repugnance 
to  the  work  of  shedding  their  countrymen's  blood  they  would 
be  protected.  One  redcoat  came  forward  and  was  received 
with  great  cheers. 

The  carts,  accompanied  by  the  continual  huzzas  of  the 
people,  were  thereupon  turned  back,  and,  making  their  way 
through  Beaver  Street  and  upon  the  Broad  Way,  deposited 
their  chests  in  a  ball  alley  at  the  corner  of  John  Street. 
These  arms  were  afterward  used  by  the  first  troops  raised  in 
New  York  by  the  Committee. 

The  forbearance  of  the  British  Major  on  this  occasion  has 
always  been  a  cause  of  great  surprise.  It  was  perhaps  due  to 
his  sympathy  with  the  American  cause,  as  shortly  after  he 
resigned  his  commission. 

No  doubt  the  advice  of  the  sage  and  patriotic  Morris  in  this 
instance  was  eminently  proper,  but  as  sometimes  happens  the 
rash  and  audacious  deed  of  Willett  bore  good  fruit  and  ren 
dered  his  name  and  his  service  immortal. 

During  the  Revolutionary  War,  Willett  became  one  of  the 
most  efficient  officers  in  the  American  army.  Subsequently 
he  occupied  the  position  of  Sheriff,  and  in  1807  was  Mayor 
of  the  City.  Sheriff  and  Willett  Streets  were  both  named 
in  his  honor.  He  died  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  ninety,  and  was 
buried  in  a  coffin  made  of  pieces  of  wood  collected  by  himself 
from  various  Revolutionary  battlefields.  —  ALBERT  ULMANN, 
in  the  New  York  Times  —  Saturday  Review. 

[See  page  705] 

As  many  seem  to  identify  privateering  with  piracy,  a 
word  on  the  subject  may  not  be  inopportune. 

According  to  the  law  of  nations,  when  one  power  has  de 
clared  war  against  another,  all  the  subjects  of  the  one  are 
enemies  to  the  subjects  of  the  other,  and  consequently  the 
subjects  of  one  power  may  not  properly  complain  of  hostile 
acts  done  by  those  of  the  adverse  power,  even  though  such 
acts  should  not  have  been  specially  commanded  by  the  power. 
Usually,  however,  unsanctioned  inimical  acts  have  been 
practically  condemned  by  nearly  all  civilized  nations,  for, 
although  not  looked  upon  as  piracy,  yet  they  would  be  irreg- 

' 


Philip  Freneau 


ular.  The  universal  rule  is  that,  except  in  case  of  self-defence, 
only  those  regularly  enrolled  by  their  respective  powers  should 
take  part  in  warfare.  To  the  sovereign  power  it  belongs  to 
make  war,  and  in  doing  so  it  may  employ  what  means  it  sees 
fit.  It  may  limit  itself  to  its  own  resources,  or  it  may  make 
use  of  those  of  others,  either  by  land  or  sea ;  it  may  employ 
only  its  public  vessels,  or  it  may  avail  itself  of  vessels  belong 
ing  to  private  persons ;  and  in  doing  the  latter,  the  fact  of  giv 
ing  them  a  commission  forms  of  such  forces  in  respect  to  the 
navy  what  would  compare  with  a  volunteer  force  in  respect 
to  the  regular  army,  for  in  both  of  these  cases  the  commissions 
they  bear  make  of  them  servants  of  the  State.  To  guard 
against  the  abuses  incident  to  piracy,  such  sea  forces  are  sub 
ject  to  certain  regulations. 

Unprepared  as  were  the  colonies  for  warfare  on  land,  to  a 
greater  degree  were  they  so  by  sea.  Warfare  against  the  French, 
Spanish,  and  Indians  had  necessarily  imparted  to  the  colonists 
a  certain  degree  of  experience  and  discipline,  but  never  having 
entered  into  contest  with  these  foes  on  the  sea,  they  had  con 
sequently  no  advantage  whatever.  Far  easier  was  it  for  them 
to  raise  an  army,  and  to  drill  it  on  firm  land  which  had  been 
their  basis  in  every  operation  since  their  advent,  than  to  build 
and  equip  vessels,  and  perform  evolutions  on  such  an  unstable 
and  unaccustomed  element  as  water.  Subjects  also  could  be 
found  more  ready  to  rise  up  and  equip  themselves  to  defend 
their  hearth-fires  than  to  leave  them  to  the  mercy  of  their 
enemy  and  go  forth  to  meet  such  of  them  as  were  already 
considered  masters  of  the  sea. 

The  origin  of  the  United  States  navy  dated  only  from  1775, 
in  which  year  Congress  authorized  two  cruisers  to  be  built,  the 
one  carrying  ten,  the  other  fourteen  guns  ;  soon  after,  fifteen 
other  vessels  were  authorized  to  be  built,  carrying  from  twenty 
to  thirty-six  guns,  —  the  colonies  of  New  England,  New  York, 
Pennsylvania,  and  Maryland  bearing  the  expense  of  their 
construction.  On  December  22,  1775,  Esek  Hopkins  and  Paul 
Jones  were  appointed,  respectively,  commander-in-chief  and 
lieutenant ;  there  was  also  appointed  a  corps  of  naval  officers. 
By  October,  1776,  the  infant  navy  numbered  twenty-six  ves 
sels,  mounting  536  guns,  and  with  this  ineffectual  armament, 
the  colonies  were  to  meet  the  superior  force  of  Great  Britain, 

[260] 


Appendix 


until  such  time  as  the  French  fleet  came  to  assist  them  in  their 
efforts.  They  were  utterly  unable  to  succeed  in  combined 
operation  against  the  British,  as  in  the  very  few  encounters 
they  had,  the  colonists  came  off  conquered  ;  consequently  the 
sea-coast  was  at  the  mercy  of  the  oppressors. 

Seeing  the  necessity  of  enlarging  their  force,  Congress  gladly 
granted  letters  of  marque  to  any  well-known  patriots  who 
should  be  venturesome  enough  to  undertake  the  work  of  as 
sisting  their  country  on  the  sea.  Without  these  letters  of 
marque  such  vessels  would  have  been  treated,  when  captured,  as 
ordinary  pirates.  The  instructions  issued  by  Congress  to  all 
privateers  during  the  Revolution  were  as  follows  :  — 

"  I.  You  may  by  force  of  arms  attack,  subdue,  and  take  all 
ships  and  other  vessels  belonging  to  the  inhabitants  of  Great 
Britain,  on  the  high  sea,  or  between  high  water  and  low  water 
marks,  except  ships  and  vessels  bringing  persons  who  intend  to 
settle  and  reside  in  the  United  States;  or  bringing  arms,  ammu 
nition  or  warlike  stores  to  the  said  colonies,  for  the  use  of  such 
inhabitants  thereof  as  are  friends  to  the  American  Cause,  which 
you  shall  suffer  to  pass  unmolested,  the  commander  thereof  per 
mitting  a  peaceable  search  and  giving  satisfactory  information 
of  the  contents  of  the  ladings  and  the  destination  of  the 
voyages. 

"  II.  You  may  by  force  of  arms  subdue  and  take  all  ships 
and  other  vessels  whatsoever  carrying  soldiers,  arms,  gunpow 
der,  ammunition,  provisions,  or  any  other  contraband  goods 
to  any  of  the  British  armies  or  ships  of  war  employed  against 
the  colonies. 

"  III.  You  shall  bring  such  ships  and  vessels  as  you  shall  take, 
with  their  guns,  tackle,  apparel,  furniture  and  lading,  to  some 
convenient  port  or  a  port  of  the  united  Colonies,that  proceedings 
may  thereupon  be  had  in  due  form  before  the  courts  which  are 
or  shall  be  then  appointed  to  hear  and  determine  causes  civil 
and  maritime. 

"  IV.  You  or  one  of  your  chief  officers  shall  bring  or  send 
the  master  and  pilot  and  one  or  more  principal  person  or  persons 
of  the  company  of  every  ship  or  vessel  by  you  taken,  as  soon 
after  the  capture  as  may  be,  to  the  Judge  or  Judges,  of  such 
court  as  aforesaid  to  be  examined  upon  oath  and  make  an 
swer  to  the  interrogatories  which  may  be  propounded  touching 

[**/] 


Philip  Freneau 


the  interest  or  property  of  the  ship  or  vessel  and  her  lading, 
and  at  the  same  time  you  shall  deliver  or  cause  to  be  delivered 
to  the  Judge  or  Judges  all  Passes,  Sea  Briefs,  Charter-Parties, 
Bills  of  Lading,  Lockers,  Letters  and  Documents,  and  Writ 
ings  found  on  Board,  proving  the  said  Papers  by  the  Affidavit 
of  yourself,  or  of  some  other  Person  present  at  the  Capture,  to  be 
produced  as  they  were  received,  without  Fraud,  Addition,  Sub 
traction,  or  Embezzlement. 

"  V.  You  shall  keep  and  preserve  every  Ship  or  Vessel  and 
Cargo  by  you  taken  until  they  shall  by  Sentence  of  a  Court 
properly  authorized  be  adjudged  lawful  Prize,  not  selling,  wast 
ing,  or  diminishing  the  same  or  breaking  the  Bulk  thereof, 
not  Suffering  any  such  Thing  to  be  done. 

"  VI.  If  you  or  any  of  your  Officers  or  Crew  shall  in  cold 
blood,  kill  or  maim,  or,  by  Torture  or  otherwise,  Cruelly, 
inhumanly,  and  contrary  to  common  usage  and  the  Practice 
of  civilized  nations  in  war  treat  any  Person  or  Persons  sur 
prised  in  the  Ship  or  Vessel  you  shall  take,  the  offender  shall 
be  severely  punished. 

"  VII.  You  shall  by  all  convenient  Opportunities,  send  to 
Congress  written  accounts  of  the  Capture  you  shall  make, 
with  the  number  and  names  of  the  Captives,  Copies  of  your 
Journal  from  time  to  time,  and  Intelligence  of  what  may  occur 
or  be  discovered  concerning  the  Design  of  the  Enemy  and 
the  Destinations,  motion  and  Operation  of  their  Fleets  and 
armies. 

"  VIII.  One  third,  at  least  of  your  whole  company  shall  be 
Land  men. 

"  IX.  You  shall  not  ransom  any  Prisoners  or  Captives,  but 
shall  dispose  of  them  in  such  manner  as  the  Congress,  or  if  that 
be  not  sitting  in  the  Colony  whither  they  shall  be  brought,  as  the 
General  Assembly,  Convention  or  Council  or  Committee  of 
Safety  of  such  Colony  shall  direct. 

"  X.  You  shall  observe  all  such  further  instructions  as  Con 
gress  shall  hereafter  give,  in  the  promise  you  shall  have  notice 
thereof. 

u  XI.  If  you  shall  do  anything  contrary  to  these  instructions 
or  to  others  hereafter  to  be  given,  or  willingly  suffer  such  things 
to  be  done,  you  shall  not  only  forfeit  your  commission  and  be 
liable  to  an  Action  for  Breach  of  the  Condition  of  your  Bond, 

[262] 


Appendix 


but  be  responsible  to  the  Party  aggrieved  for  Damages  sus 
tained  by  such  malversation." 

[See  page  /j«J] 

The  following  letter l  goes  to  prove  that  Peter  Freneau  did 
not  go  to  South  Carolina  till  after  the  year  1780;  it  was 
written  just  two  weeks  before  the  capture  of  the  u  Aurora." 

PHILADELPHIA,  May  i3th,  1780. 

SIR,  - —  With  this  you  will  receive  a  Cask  containing 
14  Gallf  of  Wine  which  is  due  you  for  two  Guineas  that 
you  gave  me  on  the  other  side  you  have  your  Account  — 
I  am  informed  that  you  have  rec?  £50  for  the  Horse  that  I 
lost  in  Mf.  Budinots  service,  this  sum  is  so  far  from  making 
me  any  satisfaction  that  I  am  determined  not  to  take  it,  the 
Horse  cost  me  upwards  of  £20  in  Specie,  I  think  it  is  Just 
that  I  should  have  more  than  £50  Continental  which  at  the 
present  Exchange  is  only  J^-  a  very  Small  Compensation  for 
lying  out  of  my  property  upwards  of  two  years.  I  would 
therefore  beg  that  if  you  do  not  get  more  for  me  that  you  will 
inform  Mf.  Budinot  that  I  had  rather  Loose  the  horse  than 
take  a  mere  Shaddow  in  pay  for  him.  —  I  have  nothing  more 
to  add  only  that  I  am 

Very  Respectfully 

Your  most  obedient 
Humble  Servant 

PETER  FRENEAU. 
JOHN  COVENHOVEN  ESQ* 
Freehold 

Monmouth  County. 

[SftpagtiSf] 

Chief  Justice  Pinckney  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Pinckney 
and  Mary  Cotesworth.  In  1752  he  was  made  Chief  Justice 
of  the  province.  His  wife,  Eliza  Lucas,  daughter  of  Colonel 
Lucas  of  the  British  army,  was  the  first  to  introduce  the 
cultivation  of  indigo  into  the  United  States.  He  had  two 
sons  Charles  Cotesworth  and  Thomas  Pinckney  ;  both  brothers 

1  The  original  letter  is  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Weymer  Jay  Mills. 


possession 

[263} 


Philip  Freneau 

practised  law  in  Charleston,  and  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Revolution  took  up  arms  in  defence  of  their  country.  Charles 
accepted  in  1796  the  post  of  Minister  to  France;  he  was 
afterwards  appointed  major-general  in  the  army.  In  1800 
he  was  a  candidate  for  the  presidency.  Thomas  became  aid 
to  General  Lincoln  the  commander  of  the  Southern  army. 
In  1789  he  was  elected  Governor  of  South  Carolina,  and  in 
1792  was  appointed  Minister  to  Great  Britain,  and  afterwards 
was  appointed  to  fill  the  same  position  in  Spain.  He  was 
appointed  major-general  in  1812. 

{Set  page  22$\ 

In  the  preface  to  one  of  Edmund  Burke's  works  we  find 
this  allusion  to  Mrs.  Leadbeater  : 

"  Edmund  Burke  was  at  Ballytore  school  under  its  founder, 
and  its  founder's  son  and  heir  was  then  among  his  schoolfel 
lows  and  comrades.  Its  founder's  daughter,  Mary,  became 
afterward  Mrs.  Leadbeater,  and  when  Burke  was  a  great  man 
in  London,  Richard  Shackleton  having  come  also  to  be  head 
of  the  Ballytore  school,  it  was  his  rest  and  happiness  to  Burke, 
to  take  a  holiday  at  Ballytore  with  its  president  who  had  been 
his  schoolfellow  and  to  correspond  with  Mrs.  Leadbeater." 

[See  page  229] 

"  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  Henry  O'Rielly  became  the 
assistant  editor  of  the  « New  York  Patriot,'  the  organ  of  the 
'  People's  Party,'  which  elected  De  Witt  Clinton  governor  of 
the  State  of  New  York  in  1824.  When  in  1826  Luther 
Tucker  &  Co.  established  the  '  Rochester  Daily  Advertiser/ 
the  first  daily  newspaper  published  between  the  Hudson  River 
and  Pacific  Ocean,  young  O'Rielly,  then  not  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  was  chosen  to  be  its  editor.  'About  this  time  he 
married  Marcia,  eldest  daughter  of  General  Micah  Brooks,  of 
Brooks'  Grove,  Livingston  County,  a  pioneer  settler  from 
Brooks'  Vale,  Connecticut.  General  Brooks'  father,  a  grad 
uate  of  Yale,  as  a  minister  preached  resistance  to  injustice 
with  picket  guards  around  his  church,  and  held  such  different 
positions  of  trust  in  the  New  Haven  colony  as  were  compati 
ble  with  his  profession.  He  was  related  to  Maj.-Gen.  David 
Wooster.  General  Brooks  filled  many  prominent  positions 


Appendix 


and  exercised  a  great  influence  in  the  early  days  of  the  State 
and  the  Republic.  In  our  State  Legislature,  and  Constitutional 
Convention,  in  the  National  Congress,  as  Judge  for  over  twenty 
years,  and  served  several  campaigns  on  the  British  frontiers 
during  the  war  of  1812.  While  in  Congress  he  was  chair 
man  of  the  "  Committee  on  Internal  Improvements,"  which 
committee  was  composed  of  Henry  Clay,  Daniel  Webster, 
John  C.  Calhoun,  Wm.  Henry  Harrison,  Richard  M.  John 
ston,  and  others,,' 

"Mr.  O'Rielly  resumed  his  editorial  labors  in  1832,  and 
became  an  active  leader  in  all  public  enterprises.  In  1833,  as 
chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  Rochester  on  Canal 
Affairs,  he  wrote  the  first  memorial  presented  to  the  Legisla 
ture  and  the  Canal  Board,  in  favor  of  rebuilding  the  failing 
structures  of  the  Erie  Canal.  He  then  proposed  a  judicious 
plan  for  the  enlargement  of  the  Canal,  which,  if  it  had  been 
adopted,  might  have  saved  the  State  millions  of  dollars.  He 
was  a  zealous  advocate  of  such  enlargement,  and  he  was  chair 
man  of  the  first  State  Executive  Committee  appointed  by  the 
first  Canal  Enlargement  Convention  in  1837.  In  that  capac 
ity  he  served  many  years  with  great  efficiency.  In  1838  he 
was  appointed  postmaster  of  Rochester.  At  the  same  time  his 
never-wearied  pen  prepared  pamphlets  and  newspaper  essays, 
filled  with  cogent  arguments  in  favor  of  reform  in  the  methods 
of  popular  education.  In  these  efforts  he  was  ably  seconded 
by  the  venerable  James  Wadsworth,  Senior,1  of  Genneseo  ;  and 
their  joint  labors  led  to  the  legislation  that  fashioned  the  pres 
ent  common-school  system  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Mr. 
O'Rielly  earnestly  advocated  the  introduction  of  works  on 
agriculture  into  the  school-district  libraries  of  the  State,  and 
his  wise  suggestions  in  his  reports  as  Secretary  of  the  State 
Agricultural  Society  have  been  practically  carried  out  in  the 
establishment  of  State  Agricultural  Colleges  in  every  common 
wealth  in  the  Union.  He  was  the  originator  of  the  State  Con 
stitutional  Association  which  was  the  means  of  bringing  about 
the  reforms  in  the  Constitution  of  the  State  of  New  York  in 
1846.  He  was  also  the  originator  at  about  the  same  time,  of 
a  project  for  the  establishment  of  a  private  telegraph  system 
for  a  range  of  about  eight  thousand  miles  in  length  connecting 

1  Father  of  General  James  Wadsworth. 


Philip  Freneau 


all  sections  of  the  United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  River. 
For  this  purpose  he  secured  the  right  to  the  use  of  all  the  tele 
graph  patents  which  had  then  been  granted.  This  system  was 
known  as  the  '  Atlantic,  Lake,  and  Mississippi  Telegraph 
Range,'  the  earliest  lightning  range  in  America  or  the  world, 
and  it  was  carried  into  effect  by  his  individual  effort,  without 
governmental  direction  or  subsidies. 

"  In  1853  Mr.  O'Rielly  was  engaged  by  the  State  of  Iowa  to 
improve  the  navigation  of  the  Des  Moines  River,  but  circum 
stances  caused  a  suspension  of  the  work.  A  few  years  later 
the  railroad  interest  in  the  State  of  New  York  took  an  attitude 
decidedly  hostile  to  the  great  Erie  Canal,  a  powerful  commer 
cial  rival.  That  interest  conspired  to  destroy  its  credit  and  to 
make  the  people  believe  that  it  was  the  source  of  burdensome 
taxation.  The  completion  of  its  enlargement  was  opposed, 
and  a  scheme  was  devised  for  controlling  legislation  so  as  to 
deprive  the  people  of  this  great  property  by  its  sale  to  the 
highest  bidder.  In  the  fall  of  1859  Mr.  O'Rielly  sent  forth 
a  stirring  address  to  the  people  of  the  State  on  the  subject. 
They  were  aroused.  The  c  Clinton  League  '  was  formed,  with 
Mr.  O'Rielly  as  chairman,  and,  by  their  untiring  efforts,  this 
scheme,  which  if  carried  out,  would  have  disgraced  the  Com 
monwealth,  was  frustrated.  When  the  late  Civil  War  broke 
out  he  was  one  of  the  most  active  promoters  of  measures  for 
the  preservation  of  the  Union,  and  was  secretary  of  the  '•So 
ciety  for  Promoting  the  Enlistment  of  Colored  Troops/  He 
originated  in  1867  an  organized  movement  for  reforming  and 
cheapening  the  operations  of  the  Railroad  system  of  the  United 
States.  Mr.  O'Rielly  has  deposited  with  the  New  York  His 
torical  Society,  of  which  he  had  been  a  member  since  1840, 
almost  two  hundred  volumes,  partly  in  manuscript  and  partly 
in  print,  containing  well-arranged  documents  and  other  papers 
relating  to  the  history  of  important  public  events  in  which  he 
has  participated.  These  form  authentic  materials  of  inestima 
ble  value,  especially  to  the  future  historian,  of  the  early  ope 
rations  of  the  Canal  and  Telegraph  systems  of  the  United 
States."  x  About  1838  he  prepared  and  published  a  volume  of 
five  hundred  pages  entitled  u  Sketches  of  Rochester,  with  In 
cidental  Notices  of  Western  New  York."  It  was  the  first 

1  Harper's  Cyclopaedia  of  American  History. 


Appendix 


work  of  its  kind  ever  published  in  the  interior  of  the  continent. 
Mr.  O'Rielly  was  also  the  author  of  "  Personal  Recollections 
of  Major  Van  Campen,  the  Guide  and  Chief  Quartermaster  of 
General  Sullivan  ;  "  "  The  Personal  Recollections  of  William 
Wood  ;  "  u  Personal  Recollections  of  Thomas  Morris,"  the 
son  and  representative  of  Robert  Morris  ;  "  Personal  Recollec 
tions  of  John  Greig,  M.  C.  ;  "  "  Sketch  of  the  Formation  of 
the  First  Regiment  of  the  National  Guards,"  now  the  Seventh 
Regiment,  of  which  he  was  Orderly  Sergeant. 
"  Memoir  "  concerning  American  Journalism. 
"  Memorial  "  concerning  Public  School  System. 
"  Memorial  "  in  regard  of  right  of  Telegraph  Constructors. 
"  Memorials  "  to  President  Polk,  to  Congress,  National  Con 

ventions,  and  State  Legislatures  to  urge  the  stationing  troops 

for  security  of  travellers  and  settlers  between  the  Missis 

sippi  and  Pacific  Ocean. 

"  Memorial  to  Supreme  Court  against  Telegraph  Monopoly." 
u  History  Getting  Right,"  rendering  justice  to  Prof.  Joseph 

Henry,  of  Smithsonian  Institute,  and  Mr.  Alfred  Vail. 
u  Resolutions  and  Correspondence,"  New  York  State  Agricul 

tural  Society  1844—5. 
u  American  Political  Anti-masonry." 
"  Origin  of  Mormonism  and  its  Golden  Bible." 
"  True  Causes  of  the  Great  Rebellion." 
"  Historical    Sketch    of    the    Origin    of    Enlisting     Colored 

Troops." 

Mr.  O'Rielly  was  also  the  compiler  and  author  of  various 
publications  issued  by  the  "  Democratic  League  "  and  the 
compiler  and  annotator  of  more  than  fifty  volumes  of  papers 
and  documents  concerning  "  Public  Improvement  Enter 
prises  "  in  which  he  had  taken  part.  He  also  composed 
many  poems,  usually  patriotic,  some  of  which  were  set  to 
music.  He  also  frequently  contributed  articles  to  the  public 
press,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  he  published  a  "  memento 
of  Captain  Brooks  O'Reilly,"  his  eldest  son,  who  after  the 
besieging  of  Yorktown  fell  during  the  attack  upon  Williams- 
burgh,  Va. 


Thomas  Windeatt  Blatchford,  M.D.,  was  born  in  Topham, 
Devonshire,  England,  on  the  twentieth  of  July,  1794.      His 

[267] 


Philip  Freneau 


father,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Blatchford,  removed  to  this  country 
when  Thomas  was  an  infant,  and  first  settled  in  Bedford, 
N.  Y.,  and  afterwards  in  Greenfield  Hill,  Conn.,  to  which 
place  he  was  called  as  the  successor  of  Dr.  Dwight,  who  had 
accepted  the  presidency  of  Yale  College.  He  was  subse 
quently  called  to  the  pastoral  charge  of  the  united  congrega 
tions  of  Lansingburgh  and  Waterford,  N.  Y.,  in  1804,  where 
he  spent  the  most  of  his  useful  life. 

Dr.  Blatchford's  early  studies  were  prosecuted  under  the 
direction  of  his  father,  in  Lansingburgh  Academy,  of  which 
his  father  was  the  principal.  In  1810  he  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  John  Taylor  of  Lansingburgh, 
and  in  1813  he  matriculated  at  the  "College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons.'*  In  1815  he  went  to  England  and  attended 
two  courses  of  lectures  at  the  united  schools  of  Guy's  and 
St.  Thomas'  hospitals,  given  by  Sir  Astley  Cooper  and  Pro 
fessor  Cline.  In  1816  he  returned  to  New  York  and  after 
attending  another  course  of  lectures  he  graduated  in  1817. 
His  graduating  thesis  was  upon  "Feigned  Diseases,"  being 
the  result  of  his  observations  and  experience  while  attending 
the  State  Prison.  The  paper  was  printed  and  gives  evidence 
of  that  judicious  observation  and  accuracy  of  diagnosis  which 
distinguished  his  subsequent  career  as  a  medical  man.  After 
receiving  his  degree  of  M.D.  he  opened  an  office  in  New 
York  City.  He  afterwards  removed  to  Jamaica,  Long  Island, 
where,  gaining  the  confidence  of  the  residents,  he  had  an  ex 
tensive  and  arduous  practice.  In  1819  he  married  Harriet, 
the  daughter  of  Thomas  Wickes,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
original  patentees  of  the  town  of  Huntington  in  1666,  and 
one  of  the  leading  men  on  Long  Island,  who  took  a  prominent 
part  in  our  revolutionary  struggle,  being  connected  with  the 
American  army  during  the  entire  war,  in  the  quartermaster's 
department,  with  the  rank  of  major.  While  in  Jamaica  the 
doctor  identified  himself  with  the  interests  of  the  town,  being 
a  trustee  in  Union  Hall  Academy,  and  an  active  laborer  in 
works  of  religion  and  general  benevolence. 

In  1828,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  Dr.  Blatchford  re 
moved  to  Troy  for  the  purpose  of  being  near  his  widowed 
mother.  The  successful  treatment  and  cure  of  a  clergyman 
there  whom  several  other  physicians  had  treated  unsuccess- 

268 


Appendix 


fully,  caused  him  to  become  very  popular,  and  for  a  period  of 
about  forty  years  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  highly  successful 
practitioner  and  a  cultivated  and  scientific  medical  man. 

His  intercourse  with  his  associates  was  uniformly  marked 
by  the  amenities  and  courtesies  of  one  who  appreciated  and 
loved  the  honor  of  his  profession.  While  jealous  of  his  own 
reputation,  he  paid  a  scrupulous  regard  to  the  reputation  and 
rights  of  others.  He  took  great  pleasure  in  rendering  aid  and 
encouragement  to  his  professional  juniors,  and  even  assisted 
them  materially.  His  interest  in  the  advancement  and  welfare 
of  his  profession  was  manifested  in  his  efforts  for  the  promo 
tion  of  medical  association.  The  State  and  county  medical 
societies,  and  the  American  Medical  Association,  were  re 
garded  as  worthy  of  his  active  efforts  for  their  promotion. 
He  was  rarely  absent  from  their  meetings,  and  their  records 
bear  evidence  not  only  of  his  interest  in  their  welfare,  but  of 
his  sound  judgment  in  the  adoption  of  measures  calculated  to 
promote  the  cause  of  medical  science. 

Dr.  Blatchford  is  favorably  known  by  his  published  papers 
and  essays,  which  are  as  follows :  "  Inaugural  Dissertation 
on  Feigned  Diseases,"  in  1817;  "  Letters,"  &c.,  1823;  "Let 
ters  to  Married  Ladies,"  1825;  "Homoeopathy  Illustrated," 
1824.  One  of  the  earliest  discussions  of  the  delusion  which 
was  published  and  which  has  always  been  regarded  as  possessed 
of  peculiar  merit,  "  Equivocal  Generation,"  1844.  "  Inaugural 
Address  before  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  New 
York;"  "Memoir  of  Charles  Lyman,  Esq.,"  1849;  "Two 
Cases  of  Hydrophobia,"  1854;  "Report  on  Hydrophobia," 
1856,  read  before  the  American  Medical  Association,  and 
published  in  their  Transactions  ;  "  Report  on  Rest  and  the 
Abolition  of  Pain,  as  Curative  Remedies,"  1856;  "Eulogy 
on  Dr.  Samuel  McClellan,"  1859;  "Alumni  Oration  before 
the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,"  New  York,  1861  ; 
besides  many  articles  for  newspapers,  and  papers  contributed 
to  the  medical  and  surgical  journals. 

Dr.  Blatchford  kept  a  meteorological  journal  from  the  year 
1824;  noting  the  range  of  the  thermometer  and  barometer, 
direction  of  the  wind  and  aspect  of  the  weather,  account  of 
rain,  snow,  &c.  His  accuracy  and  care  in  these  observations 
were  well  known,  and  the  testimony  of  his  record  on  these 

[269] 


Philip  Freneau 


subjects,  was  regarded  as  conclusive.  He  was  a  philanthropist 
in  the  highest  sense  of  the  term.  The  temperance  cause  re 
ceived  his  earnest  and  most  systematic  efforts  for  its  promo 
tion.  Every  enterprise  for  the  advancement  of  the  well-being 
of  his  fellow-men,  at  home  or  abroad,  found  in  him  an  earnest 
friend,  and  active  and  consistent  colaborer. 

Dr.  Blatchford  was  connected  with  the  Marshall  Infirmary 
of  Troy  from  its  foundation.  The  Lunatic  Asylum  connected 
with  the  Infirmary  was  projected  by  him.  Upon  his  death 
the  governors,  in  their  tribute  to  his  memory,  express  their 
"irreparable  loss"  in  the  death  of  their  associate,  and  declare 
that  his  place  in  their  councils  "can  never  be  wholly  rilled," 
and  that  his  labors  in  the  care  of  the  institution  "  have  been 
such  that  few  can  ever  equal."  He  left  his  valuable  medical 
library  of  over  six  hundred  volumes  to  the  institution.  The  be 
quest  was  accepted  by  the  governors,  who  resolved  to  place  the 
books  in  a  separate  apartment  to  be  known  as  the  "  Blatchford 
Medical  Library  of  the  Marshall  Infirmary." 

The  doctor  was  connected  for  a  period  of  seven  years  with 
the  Board  of  Education  of  the  city  of  Troy,  and  was  its 
presiding  officer  during  most  of  that  time.  To  the  cause  of 
education  he  gave  his  untiring  energies.  Regarding  the  health 
of  the  body  as  essential  as  the  improvement  of  the  mind  he 
drew  the  plan  of  most  of  the  schoolhouses  of  the  city,  so  as 
to  secure  pure  air  and  thorough  ventilation.  One  of  the 
public  schools  was  named,  in  1862,  the  Blatchford  School. 
He  was  also  a  trustee  of  the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute, 
and  of  the  Troy  Female  Seminary. 

Dr.  Blatchford's  reputation  as  a  man  of  science  was  recog 
nized  in  the  degree  of  A.M.,  by  Union  College  in  1815;  in 
his  election  as  Fellow  of  the  Albany  Medical  College  in 
1834;  President  of  the  Rensselaer  County  Medical  Society 
1842-3;  Permanent  member  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  1845,  anc^  *ts  President  in  1847  >  Mem 
ber  of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science,  1 849  ;  Corresponding  Fellow  of  New  York  Academy 
of  Medicine,  1847  >  Vice-president  of  the  American  Medical 
Association,  1856;  Corresponding  Member  of  the  Academy 
of  Science,  St.  Louis,  1857  »  Fellow  of  the  College  of  Physi 
cians  and  Surgeons,  New  York,  1861  ;  Honorary  Member  of 

[270] 


Appendix 


the  Medical  Society  of  New  Jersey,  1861,  and  of  the  Medical 
Society  of  Connecticut,  1862. 

As  a  Christian  a  uniform  and  consistent  piety  formed  a  part 
of  the  man.  In  his  daily  round  of  duties,  professional,  civil, 
social,  as  well  as  in  those  more  peculiarly  religious,  his  aim 
seemed  always  to  be  to  "  do  all  things  to  the  glory  of  God." 
He  seldom  absented  himself  from  the  services  of  the  sanctuary. 
So  unusual  was  his  absence  that  when  at  rare  intervals  it 
did  happen,  the  minister  would  send  to  his  residence,  under 
the  apprehension  that  he  was  ill.  It  is  said  that  a  certain 
physician  in  Troy  had  been  admonished  for  his  uniform 
absence  from  services  on  Sundays,  and  he  excused  himself 
on  the  ground  of  professional  duty,  and  he  was  asked  why 
Dr.  Blatchford  could  attend  church  so  regularly,  whereupon 
he  acknowledged  that  he  could  not  understand  it,  as  his  prac 
tice  was  not  so  large  as  Dr.  Blatchford's.  He  was  advised  to 
learn  the  doctor's  secret,  and  upon  calling  upon  the  latter  for 
the  purpose,  the  doctor  said  to  him :  u  You  always  attend  your 
consultations,  don't  you,  doctor  ?  "  "  Oh,  yes,"  he  replied. 
"  And  you  aim  to  be  always  punctual  to  your  appointments, 
don't  you  ?  "  He  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  with  empha 
sis.  "  Well,"  said  Dr.  Blatchford,  "  I  have  a  consultation  with 
my  Divine  Master  at  ten  o'clock  every  Sunday  morning,  and 
I  make  all  my  arrangements  to  meet  my  appointment." 

His  piety  was  not  severe,  but  always  beautiful ;  ever  cheer 
ful,  often  jocose  and  eminently  social,  his  society  was  wel 
come  to  every  circle.  He  fell  asleep  in  Jesus  Jan.  yth,  1866. 
—  Memoir  by  Stephen  Wickes,  A.M.,  M.D. 

\_See  page  234] 

In  the  notes  to  "  The  Lord  of  the  Isles  "  we  find  an  ac 
count  of  the  cruel  execution  of  Sir  Simon  Frazer,  called  in  the 
poem  the  "  flower  of  chivalry." 

NOTE.  —  "Sir  Simon  Frazer,  or  Frizel,  ancestor  of  the 
family  of  Lovat,  is  dwelt  upon  at  great  length,  and  with  savage 
exultation,  by  the  English  historians.  This  knight,  who  was 
renowned  for  personal  gallantry,  and  high  deeds  of  chivalry,  was 
made  prisoner,  after  a  gallant  defence,  in  the  battle  of  Methuen. 
Some  stanzas  of  a  ballad  of  the  times  give  minute  particulars 
of  his  fate.  It  was  written  immediately  at  the  period,  for  it 

[971] 


Philip  Freneau 

mentions  the  Earl  of  Athole  as  not  yet  in  custody.  It  has  been 
translated  out  of  the  rude  orthography  of  the  times  to  make  it 
intelligible." 

"  This  was  before  Saint  Bartholomew's  mass, 

That  Frizel  was  y -taken,  were  it  more  other  less, 
To  Sir  Thomas  of  Multon,  gentil  baron  and  free, 
And  to  Sir  Johan  Jose  be-take  tho  was  he 

To  hand 

He  was  y-fettered  wele 
Both  with  iron  and  with  steel 

To  bringen  of  Scotland. 

"  Soon  thereafter  the  tiding  to  the  King  come, 
He  sent  him  to  London,  with  mony  armed  groom, 
He  came  hi  at  Newgate,  I  tell  you  it  on  a-plight, 
A  garland  of  leaves  on  his  head  y-dight 

Of  green, 

For  he  should  be  y-know 
Both  of  high  and  of  low, 

For  traitour  I  ween. 

"  Y-fettered  were  his  legs  under  his  horse's  wombe, 
Both  with  iron  and  with  steel  mancled  were  his  hond  ; 
A  garland  of  pervynk1  set  upon  his  heved,2 
Much  was  the  power  that  him  was  bereved 

In  land 

So  God  me  amend, 
Little  he  ween'd 

So  to  be  brought  in  hand. 

"  This  was  upon  our  lady's  even,  forsooth  I  understand, 
The  Justices  sate  for  the  knights  of  Scotland, 
Sir  Thomas  of  Multon,  an  kinde  knyght  and  wise, 
And  Sir  Ralph  of  Sandwich  that  mickle  is  told  in  price, 

And  Sir  Johan  Abel, 
Moe  I  might  tell  by  tale 
Both  of  great  and  of  small 

Ye  know  sooth  well. 

"  Then  said  the  Justice,  that  gentil  is  and  free, 
Sir  Simond  Frizel  the  king's  traiter  hast  thou  be; 

1  Periwinkle.  2  Head. 


Appendix 


In  water  and  in  land  that  mony  mighten  see, 
What  sayst  thou  thereto,  how  will  thou  quite  thee, 

Do  say. 

So  foul  he  him  wist, 
Nede  war  on  trust 

For  to  say  nay. 

"  With  fetters  and  with  gives  1  y-hot  he  was  to  draw 
From  the  Tower  of  London  that  many  men  might  know, 
In  a  kirtle  of  burel,  a  selcouth  wise, 
And  a  garland  on  his  head  of  the  new  guise. 

Through  Cheape 
Many  men  of  England 
For  to  see  Symond 

Thitherward  can  leap. 

«« Though  he  cam  to  the  gallows  first  he  was  on  hung, 
All  quick  beheaded  that  him  thought  long  ; 
Then  he  was  y-opened,  his  bowels  y-brend,2 
The  heved  to  London  Bridge  was  send 

To  shende. 

So  evermore  mote  I  the, 
Some  while  weened  he 

Thus  little  to  stand.8 

"  He  rideth  through  the  city,  as  I  tell  may, 
With  gamen  and  with  solace  that  was  their  play, 
To  London-bridge  he  took  the  way, 
Mony  was  the  wives  child  that  thereon  lacketh  a  day  4 

And  said  alas  ! 
That  he  was  y-born, 
And  so  vilely  forlorn, 

So  fair  man  he  was.  6 

"Now  standeth  the  heved  above  the  tu-brigge, 
Fast  .by  Wallace  sooth  for  to  segge  ; 
After  succor  of  Scotland  long  may  he  pry ; 
And  after  help  of  France  what  halt  it  to  lie 

I  ween 

Better  him  were  in  Scotland 
With  his  axe  in  his  hand 

To  play  on  the  green/'  &c. 

1  He  was  condemned  to  be  drawn.  2  Burned. 

8  Meaning  that  he  little  thought  ever  to  stand  thus. 

4  Saith  lack  a  day. 

5  The  gallant  knight  was  pitied  by  the  female  spectators. 

[273} 


Philip  Freneau 


"  The  Friday  next,  before  the  assumption  of  Our  Lady, 
King  Edward  met  Robert  the  Bruce  at  Saint  Johnstowne  in 
Scotland,  and  with  his  company,  of  which  company  King 
Edward  qvelde  seven  thousand.  When  Robert  the  Bruce 
saw  this  mischief  and  gan  to  flee,  an  hov'd  him  that  men 
might  not  him  find ;  but  Sir  Simond  Frisell  (Frazer)  pursued 
was  so  sore,  that  he  turned  again  and  abode  bataille,  for  he 
was  a  worthy  knight  and  a  bolde  of  body,  and  the  English 
men  pursuede  him  sore  on  every  side  and  qvelde  the  steed  that 
sir  Simon  Frisell  rode  upon,  and  then  toke  him  and  led  him 
to  the  host.  And  Sir  Symond  began  to  speke  fair,  and  saide, 
Lordys,  I  shall  give  you  four  thousand  marks -of  silver,  and 
myne  horse  and  harness,  and  all  my  armoure  and  income. 
Tho',  answered  Thobaude  of  Pevenes,  that  was  the  king's 
archer,  now,  God  me  so  helpe,  it  is  for  nought  that  thou 
speakest,  for  all  the  gold  of  England  I  would  not  let  thee  go 
without  commandment  of  King  Edward.  And  tho'  he  was 
led  to  the  king,  and  the  king  would  not  see  him,  but  com 
manded  to  lead  him  away  to  his  doom  in  London,  on  our 
Lady's  even  nativity.  And  he  was  hung  and  drawn  and  his 
head  smitten  off,  and  hanged  again  with  chains  of  iron  upon 
the  gallows  and  his  head  was  set  at  London-bridge  upon  a 
spear,  and  against  Christmas  the  body  was  burnt." 

We  have  quoted  these  notes  in  full  for  three  reasons :  of 
which  the  first  is  that  there  are  many  of  Sir  Simon  Frazer's 
descendants  living  in  America  who  may  not  have  read  them 
before ;  to  picture  the  extreme  cruelty  with  which  brave  men 
were  treated  in  those  times ;  and  to  show  the  changes  the  Eng 
lish  language  has  undergone,  when  even  this  version  has  been 
u  translated  out  of  its  rude  orthography." 

[Set  page  234] 

The  family  of  Biddle  have  added  many  important  names  to 
the  roll  of  honor  of  their  adopted  country.  In  what  year  any 
of  its  members  first  came  to  America  we  know  not,  but  they 
were  settlers  and  proprietaries  of  western  New  Jersey  before 
the  war  of  independence.  Clement  Biddle,  in  1764,  united 
with  others  to  form  a  military  corps  for  the  protection  of  the 
friendly  Indians  against  the  zealots  called  Paxton  boys.  He 
and  his  brother,  Owen  Biddle,  identified  themselves  with  the 

[274] 


Appendix 


non-importation  resolutions  of  1765.  During  the  Revolution, 
Clement  was  instrumental  in  forming  the  body  of  Quaker 
volunteers  of  which  he  was  colonel.  He  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Trenton  and  was  appointed  by  Washington  to  re 
ceive  the  swords  of  the  Hessian  officers.  He  also  served  in 
the  battles  of  Princeton,  the  Brandywine,  Germantown,  and 
Monmouth.  He,  as  well  as  his  brother  Owen,  had  a  share  in 
framing  the  revolutionary  State  constitution  of  1776. 

Edward  Biddle  was  an  officer  in  the  French  war,  1756-63. 
He  was  speaker  in  the  Assembly,  and  a  delegate  from  Penn 
sylvania  to  the  Continental  Congress  1774-6  and  1778-9. 

Nicholas  Biddle  entered  the  royal  navy  in  1770  and  was 
made  captain  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  in  1776  and  took  several 
prizes  from  the  English.  Freneau  commemorated  his  death 
in  the  following  poem,  although  with  too  great  poetical  license 
he  represented  him  as  falling  in  the  moment  of  victory.  Cap 
tain  Biddle  met  the  adversary  in  a  very  unequal  contest  and 
acted  with  great  gallantry. 

ON   THE  DEATH  OF 
CAPTAIN  NICHOLAS  BIDDLE 

Commander  of  the  Randolph  Frigate,  blown  up  near  Barbadoes 

What  distant  thunders  rend  the  skies, 
What  clouds  of  smoke  in  columns  rise, 

What  means  this  dreadful  roar  ! 
Is  from  his  base  Vesuvius  thrown, 
Is  sky-topt  Atlas  tumbled  down, 

Or  Etna's  self  no  more  ? 

Shock  after  shock  torments  my  ear ; 
And  lo  !  two  hostile  ships  appear, 

Red  lightnings  round  them  glow  : 
The  Yarmouth  boasts  of  sixty-four, 
The  Randolph  thirty-two  —  no  more  — 

And  will  she  fight  this  foe  ! 

The  Randolph  soon  on  Stygian  streams 
Shall  coast  along  the  land  of  dreams, 

The  islands  of  the  dead  ! 
But  Fate,  that  parts  them  on  the  deep 
Shall  save  the  Briton  yet  to  weep 

His  days  of  victory  fled. 


[275] 


Philip  Freneau 

Say,  who  commands  that  dismal  blaze, 
Where  yonder  starry  streamer  plays  ; 

Does  Mars  with  Jove  engage  ! 
"Tis  Biddle  wings  those  angry  fires, 
Biddle  whose  bosom  Jove  inspires 

With  more  than  mortal  rage. 

Tremendous  flash  !  and  hark,  the  ball 
Drives  through  old  Yarmouth,  flames  and  all  : 

Her  bravest  sons  expire  ; 
Did  Mars  himself  approach  so  nigh, 
Even  Mars,  without  disgrace,  might  fly 

The  Randolph's  fiercer  fire. 

The  Briton  views  his  mangled  crew, 
"And  shall  we  strike  to  thirty  two 

(Said  Hector,  stain'd  with  gore) 
"Shall  Britain's  flag  to  these  descend  — 
"  Rise  and  the  glorious  conflict  end, 

"  Britons,  I  ask  no  more  !  " 

He  spoke  —  they  charg'd  their  cannon  round, 
Again  the  vaulted  heavens  resound, 

The  Randolph  bore  it  all, 
Then  fix'd  her  pointed  cannons  true  — 
Away  the  unwieldy  vengeance  flew  ; 

Britain,  thy  warriors  fall. 

The  Yarmouth  saw,  with  dire  dismay, 
Her  wounded  hull,  shrouds  shot  away, 

Her  boldest  heroes  dead  — 
She  saw  amidst  her  floating  slain 
The  conquering  Randolph  stem  the  main  — 

She  saw,  she  turn'd  —  and  fled  ! 

That  hour,  blest  chief,  had  she  been  thine, 
Dear  Biddle,  had  the  powers  divine 

Been  kind  as  thou  wert  brave  ; 
But  Fate,  who  doom'd  thee  to  expire, 
Prepar'd  an  arrow,  tipt  with  fire, 

And  mark'd  a  wat'ry  grave. 

And  in  that  hour,  when  conquest  came 
Wing'd  at  his  ship  a  pointed  flame, 

[276} 


Appendix 

That  not  even  he  could  shun  — 
The  battle  ceas'd  the  Yarmouth  fled, 
The  burning  Randolph  ruin  spread, 

And  left  her  task  undone. 

James  Biddle  entered  the  navy  in  1800.  He  served  against 
Tripoli,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  detained  over  a  year 
and  a  half.  He  served  with  great  distinction  in  the  war  of 
1812.  For  his  services  he  received  a  gold  medal  from  Con 
gress,  besides  other  honors.  Captain  Biddle  was  afterward 
Commissioner  to  Turkey,  China,  etc. 

Clement  Cornell  Biddle  entered  the  naval  service  of  the 
United  States  in  the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  but  retired 
to  the  study  of  law.  He  served  in  the  war  of  1812  with  the 
rank  of  colonel. 

Richard  Biddle  was  a  lawyer  and  writer ;  he  served  in  Con 
gress  from  1837  to  1841. 

Nicholas  Biddle,  the  great  American  financier,  was  named 
after  his  uncle,  the  naval  officer.  After  graduating  from 
Princeton  College  he  studied  law,  but  being  too  young  to 
practise  he  went  to  France  as  Secretary  to  General  Armstrong, 
U.  S.  Minister.  He  afterwards  went  as  Secretary  to  Mr. 
Monroe,  U.  S.  Minister  to  England.  He  travelled  extensively 
in  Europe  and  gained  a  knowledge  of  the  modern  languages. 
In  1810  he  was  in  the  House  of  Representatives  of  Pennsyl 
vania,  and  in  1812-15  was  State  Senator.  In  1819  Presi 
dent  Monroe  appointed  him  government  director  of  the  United 
States  Bank,  and  upon  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Cheves,  he  was 
elected  its  president.  The  old  charter  expiring  in  1836,  the 
bank  ceased  to  exist.  Its  success,  however,  caused  the  Legis 
lature  of  Pennsylvania  to  create  a  State  bank,  called  the  U.  S. 
Bank,  and  Mr.  Biddle  reluctantly  accepted  its  presidency.  In 
1839,  by  reason  of  his  failing  health,  Mr.  Biddle  resigned, 
leaving  the  bank  in  an  apparently  prosperous  condition.  Two 
years  after  his  resignation  it  became  insolvent.  Mr.  Biddle's 
character  won  high  eulogiums  from  even  his  political  opponents. 
Mr.  Biddle,  as  president  of  the  trustees  of  Girard  College, 
planned  the  building,  as  also  that  of  the  U.  S.  Custom  House, 
which  was  formerly  the  U.  S.  Bank.  His  speeches,  essays, 
and  letters  are  said  to  exhibit  great  elegance  with  vigor  of 

[  277 } 


Philip  Freneau 


style.  He  married  Miss  Craig  of  Philadelphia,  and  after  his 
resignation  retired  to  his  country  seat  of  Andalusia  and  devoted 
himself  to  literary  pursuits. 

George  W.  Biddle  practised  law  in  Philadelphia.  Besides 
holding  many  minor  offices  in  that  city,  he  was  a  member  of 
the  constitutional  convention  of  Pennsylvania  in  1873.  He 
became  the  leader  of  the  bar  of  the  State  and  was  retained  in 
most  cases  of  importance  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State. 
Besides  contributing  numerous  legal  papers,  he  wrote  transla 
tions  of  the  Greek  orations  of  Demosthenes,  and  ^Eschines  on 
the  Crown. 

Col.  James  Biddle,  of  the  Ninth  Cavalry,  U.  S.«  A.,  served 
in  many  engagements  during  the  Civil  War.  His  son,  David 
Harmony  Biddle,  is  at  the  present  time  (1901)  serving  in 
Manila. 


Index 


Index 


ADAMS,  18,  72,  90,  96,  190 

Addison,  141 

Allaire,  42,   44,   46,    51,    55,   56, 

62,  66,  90 
Auboyneau,  46 
Andre,  225 
Andros,  22,  23 
Armstrong,  277 
Arnold,  123,  129,  134 
Asshurst,  46 
Atkinson,  191 
Auchmuchty,  93 

BACHE,  158 

Bailey,    121,   181,   182,    183,    196, 

205,  211 

Baird,  44,  255,  256 
Barbaric,  39,  46,  54 
Barlow,  159,  221 
Bartlett,  192 
Basnage,  6 
Bauer,  255 
Bayard,  93 
Bayeux,  46,  56 
Bayle,  7 
Bedford,  74 

Bellemont,  33,  34,  35,  37 
Benjamin,  160,  168 
Benoit,  6 

Beresford,  139,  228 
Bernon,    33,  34,    36,    37,  39,   40, 

41*  42,  43>  44,  51 
Berthier,  140 
Biddle,  234,  274,  275,  276,   277, 

278 


Blatchford,    233,    234,    267,    268, 

269,  270,  271 
Bleecker,  64,  148 
Bonaparte,  64 
Booth,  114 
Bouche,  41 

Boudinot,  n,  39,  118,  263 
Bousfield,  64 
Bowen,  151 
Bradford,  18,  74 
Brackenridge,  74,  78,  79 
Brevoort,  219,  220 
Bromfield,  123 
Brooks,  264 
Bruce,  274 
Bryant,  224,  225 
Buckley,  182,  183 
Budleigh,  119 
Burgoyne,  147 
Burke,  228,  264 
Burr,  17,  74,  90,  98,  172,  203 
Burrows,  149 
Butler,  139 
Byron,  222 


CALHOUN,  201,  265 
Calvin,  4 
Campan,  163 
Campbell,  219,  221 
Carle,  62 
Carre,  41,  54 
Carroll,  165 
Gary,  180 
Caryl,  30 
Case,  128 


Philip  Freneau 


Cass,  148 

Cayale,  46 

Charron,  55,  257 

Chatham,  119 

Cheves,  277 

Christian,  185 

Clarke,  46 

Clay,  265 

Cleveland,  148,  234 

Cline,  268 

Clinton,  18,  30,  97,  99,  101,  122, 

134,  147,  190,  201,  264 
Cobbet,  189 
Colbert,  4,  254 
Golden,  93,  148,  201 
Collier,  107 
Conckling,  148 
Cook,  125 
Coole,  33 
Cooper,  93,  268 
Cornwallis,  99,  135 
Cosby,  59 
Cotes  worth,  263 
Covenhoven,  263 
Crabbe,  228 
Craig,  278 
Croes,  232 
Cromelin,  46 
Crow,  119 
Cruger,  93 
Curtensius,  93 
Cuyler,  128 

DAILLE,  32,  33 
Daller,  90 
Davis,  190 
Dayton,  208 

Delancey,  17,  29,  46,  57,   62,  63, 
78,    93,    121,     136,    148,    220, 


Delarty,  59 
Denison,  233 
Dennie,  163 


De  Razieres,  21 

Desbrosses,  63,  255 

D'Estaing,  102 

Dewitt,  201 

Dibdin,  aiy 

Dodge,  233 

Dongan,  18,  22,  23,  33,  90 

Douglas,  255 

Droilet,  39,  46 

Dryden,  221,  222,  224 

Dubois,  67 

Dudley,  43 

Duponceau,  164 

Du  Pont,  42 

Duyckinck,  129,  190 

D wight,  268 

EDGEWORTH,  228 
Eggleston,  69 
Ellsworth,  159 

FAIRCHILD,  148,  149 
Fairlie,  201 

Faneuil,  42,  44,  45>  46 
Fenno,  158,  159 
Fish,  201 
Fithian,  74 
Fitzgerald,  230 
Fontaine,  56,  57 
Forman,  103,  147,  14* 

232 
Foy,  146 

Francis,  137,   l65»    *99>  aoo>  201 
216 

Franklin,  17,  I56>  X78 

Fraunce,  17 

Frazer,  271,  274 

Fredet,  6 

Frost,  99 

GAGE,  74,  93»  J3a>  J37 
Gaines,  18,  92,  133,  136,  i37>  '3* 
218 


[282] 


Index 


Gates,  201 

Gaudineau,  255 

Genet,  30,  163,  164,  165,  167,  168 

Gerry,  172,  187 

Gordon,  149 

Grant,  99 

Granville,  172 

Gray,  163,  222 

Greeley,  185 

Greene,  98,  103 

Greenleaf,  167,  187,  188 

Greig,  267 

G  rennet,  189 

HALE,  100 

Hamilton,    17,     59,     61,    93,    98, 

156,  159,  162,  168,  169,  203 
Hammill,  227,  233 
Hanson,  83 
Harper,  165,  266 
Harris,  195,  234,  236 
Harrison,  265 
Harsmonden,  93 
Heister,  99 
Hempstead,  123 
Hendrick,  58 
Henry,  267 
Het,  51,  55 
Hobart,  46 
Hodge,  185 
Hopkins,  260 
Hopkinson,  133,  201 
Hosack,  200 
Howe,  99 
Hulings,  119 
Hull,  204 
Hume,  6 
Humphrey,  162 
Hunn,  68 
Hunter,  58 

JACKSON,  161,  225 
Jamain,  36,  55 


Jarvis,  aoo 

Jay,  ii,  17,  46,  51,  52,  93,  172 

Jebb,  64 

Jefferson,  17,  126,  141,  143,  153, 
i56»  J57>  160,  164,  168,  169, 
170,  171,  172,  173,  176,  198, 

2OI,    2O2 

Jeffries,  133 

Johnson,  59,  162,  265 

Jones,    96,    126,    130,    131,    201, 

225,  260 
Jouneau,  46 
Jumel,  30 
Jurien,  6 

KEARNEY,  57,  59,  61,  66,  148 
Kenedy,  30 
Kirby,  142 
Knox,  98,  162 
Knyphausen,  102,  132,  134 

LABOYTEAUX,  no 

Lafayette,  102,  126 

Lamb,  93,  97,  190 

Lamothe,  20 

Landon,  128 

Laport,  54 

Larrey,  6 

Laurens,  n 

Leadbeater,    120,   139,    170,    171, 

228,  232,  233,  234,  235,  264 
Lear,  162 
Le  Boyteulx,  39 

Ledyard,  123,  125,  128,  148,  227 
Lee,  74,  102,  103 
Lehre,  143 

Leisler,  24,  32,  33,  256 
Le  Roy,  42,  51 
Lescour,  41 
Lewis,  162 
Lincoln,  122,  264 
Linklaen,  148 
Livingston,  18,  74,  91,  93,  148,  188 


Philip  Freneau 


Longworth,  204,  205 
Lowe,  59 
Lucas,  263 
Luvois,  4,  5 
Lyman,  260 


MACDONOUGH,  204,  225 
Madison,     17,    67,    74,    79,     i5*> 

156,    182,  183,    184,    187,   202, 

204,  205,  207,  236 
Mandeville,  13 
Manly,   107 
Marot,  57 
Marshall,  167,  172 
Martin,  101 
Matthews,  258 
Maury,  10 
Mayarin,  4 
McClellan,  260 
McDougall,  93,  97 
McEvers,  92 
Middleton,  139 
Miller,  26,  148,  201 
Mills,  in,   176,  263 
Mitchell,  72,  73,  201 
Monroe,  277 
Montpensier,  234 
Moore,  123,  128,  221 
Morin,    52,    55,    56,    62,    65,    90 

256,  257 

Morris,  18,  59,  122,  267 
Moulinars,  56 
Murray,  27,  52,  100,   130,  216 


NAPOLEON,  140,  230 
Neau,  46 
Nelson,  162 
Newinhuysen,  45,  46 
Nezereau,  46 
Noel,  233 
North,   132 


D'CALLAGHAN,    90 

Ogden,  74 

O'Rielly,    229,     230,    231,     232, 

254,  264,  265,  266,  267 
Otis,  91,  92 

PAINE,  159,  201 

Papin,  41 

Patterson,  61 

Peale,  200 

Peiret,  32,  33,  34,  39 

Penn,  9 

Percy,  132 

Perez,  61 

Perry,  225 

Peters,  123 

Philippse,  46,  90 

Philips,  123 

Pinckney,     120,     122,     143,    172, 

187,  263 
Pindar,  170 
Pintard,  157,  158,  201 
Poe,  223 
Polk,  258 
Poole,  4 
Pope,  210,  221 
Porter,  204 

Provost,  63,  64,  65,  150,  201 
Putnam,  98,  99 
Pyncheon,  228 

QUINTARD,   256,   257 


RANDOLPH,  182 

Richelieu,  2,  4 

Rittenhouse,  159 

Rivington,  133,  134,  135,  160,  218 

Robertson,  191 

Robins,  119 

Rochambeau,  176 

Rogers,  221 

Ross,  225 

Rou,  54,  56,  61,  6a 

[284} 


Index 


Rousseau,  168 
Ruggles,  92 
Rutger,  90,  100 
Rutledge,  187 
Ryer,  254 

SCHUYLER,    58 

Scott,  18,  52,  62,  89,  90,  91,  92, 
93,  94,  95,  96»  97,  IOI>  103, 
113,  219,  221,  258 

Sears,  93,  133 

Seymour,  128,  148,  149 

Shackleton,  228,  264 

Shaw,  56 

Sigourney,  43 

Smith,  90,  189,  211 

Smyth,  207 

Southey,  221 

Spring,  74 

Stanhope,  103 

Steele,  120,  205 

Stephens,  192 

Steuben,  201 

Stirling,  98,  99,  100 

Stuyvesant,  ai,  162 

Sullivan,  98,  99,  100,  267 

Sweeney,  233 

TALMONT,  40 

Tappan,  148 

Tasso,  65 

Taylor,  268 

Tennant,  71 

Tessereau,  6 

Thomas,  139,  i43»  X46>  T5J 

Tobey,  83 

Trelawney,  256 

Trench,  228 

Trumbull,  133,  i4a,  aai 

Tryon,  99,  132 


Clicker,  170,  264 
Turnbull,  100 
Tyler,  133 

ULMANN,  259 

VAIL,  128,  267 
Van  Brugh,  45,  46 
Van  Campen,  267 
Van  Cortlandt,  255 
Van  Dam,  19,  46 
Van  Rensselaer,  148,  149 
Van  Twiller,  21 
Verplanck,  201,  217 
Vesey,  52 
Vincent,  46,  264 
Voltaire,  140,  221 
Von  Kettler,  128,  148 
Von  Liebig,  234 

WADSWORTH,  265 

Walton,  29 

Washington,  171,  172,  234,  255 

Watson,    63,    66,    146,   166,    167, 

256 

Watts,  148 
Wayne,  loz 
Webster,  265 
Wenham,  46 
Whitfield,  178 
Wickes,  268 
Willett,  257,  258,  259 
Williams,  90,  100 
Wilson,  156,  255 
Witherspoon,  73,  75,  78>  X33 
Wood,  267 
Woodhull,  ioo 
Wooster,  264 

YOUNG,  123,  221 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 


This 


mped  below,  or 
renewed. 

a 


LD2iA-40m-ll,'63 
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